A Decade Lost
by Neonz
Summary: Twilight teleports herself ten years into the future without realizing her spell was a one-way trip. Now stuck in a world that hasn't seen her in a whole decade, she's forced to see how her friends' lives have fallen apart in the time she was away.
1. Seeing the future

Hey guys! This will be my new project now that Xanterlot University is nearly completed.

As per usual, I will respond to all of your comments, concerns, questions, or otherwise. This fic will be a tad dark, and will contain references to drugs, alcohol, sex/ adultery, and pregnancy. And maybe other stuff, I'll probably have to update this. If any of that bothers you, I wouldn't read on.

I do not own MLP!

…

Twilight stared into the eyes of her mentor, her mind struggling to comprehend what she'd just been told. "I… I don't understand… how…?" Her voice echoed around the otherwise empty royal chamber, where the stained glass images that painted Equestria's history adorned the walls.

Princess Celestia simply smiled. "You've learned many things, met many ponies, and over the years you've grown into a capable and intelligent mare." Twilight watched the princess speak with her own mouth slightly agape. "It's time for you to fulfill your destiny, my faithful student. I want you to ascend the throne and stand beside me."

"A princess…" Twilight hadn't considered applying the word to herself since she was an imaginative, naïve little filly. "I… this is such a big responsibility…" She stared at the ground, unable to think of anything else to say.

Princess Celestia lowered herself to Twilight's level and gently lifted her chin up with a hoof. "Twilight, I can think of nopony more deserving of this title than you. You've certainly earned it."

"I… I guess so, but…" Twilight looked anxiously at Princess Celestia. "What about my friends?"

"They'll be present for the ceremony. I'm sure they'll be happy to stand right beside you." Princess Celestia smiled. "You can teleport back to Ponyville and inform them beforehand. I know your magic is fully capable of such a task."

Teleporting all the way to Ponyville from Canterlot might be a bit of a stretch, but it was true that Twilight's magic had improved miles since she'd first moved to that tiny town. The magic of friendship had accelerated her powers far beyond that of any normal unicorn. She would never want to draw attention from it, but she could admit to herself that she was almost equal to an alicorn, only without the…

"You'll be gaining your wings at the ceremony," Princess Celestia informed her. Being her personal student since she was a foal had made Twilight easy for the princess of the sun to read.

Twilight gave a small nod, feeling very overwhelmed. "I-I understand…"

"Don't worry, Twilight," Princess Celestia reassured, placing a hoof on her student's shoulder. "I'll give you a few days to let your head settle before anything drastic happens."

A few days was absolutely nothing in the life of an immortal alicorn…

"Like I said, Twilight," Princess Celestia spoke gently, "I would like you to teleport to Ponyville and speak with your friends. They are the reason you've grown so much, and they deserve to know of your fate before the rest of Equestria does."

"I will. Thank you, princess. This is truly an honour," Twilight said before turning to leave.

"Goodnight, my faithful student."

Twilight walked out of the royal chamber and into the castle halls. The sound of her hooves hitting the marble floor echoed through the tall structure. Twilight opened the door to go outside, the fresh night air tugging at her mane and the distant stars giving her something to stare at while her mind wandered elsewhere.

"An alicorn… a princess…" Twilight murmured to herself. Of all ponies, Twilight was the one Celestia had chosen to befit with the biggest responsibility imaginable. She shifted her gaze away from the stars, and back at the similarly-shaped marks embedded into her flank.

Was this really her destiny?

How could it be? She was a simple librarian. Talented at magic, sure, but that didn't translate into being a good leader. If it was her destiny, surely she should feel confident, or at least excited.

Instead, she was practically shaking with anxiety. This would be a huge change. She would have to move to Canterlot. She wouldn't be able to see her friends as often.

Her friends…

What would they think of all of this? Pinkie would probably be the easiest. She seemed to go along with just about anything. Then again, moving away to where Pinkie couldn't invite her to parties and hang out with every day would be a major downer to the pink pony.

Rainbow would probably make fun of her amateur flying skills. Twilight hoped that being an alicorn didn't put her above the natural flying abilities of a pegasus, because she much preferred being made fun of to being envied.

Rarity would be jealous. It was the fashionista's dream to move to Canterlot, and becoming royalty was a fantasy to her. Twilight hadn't asked for this; this wasn't what she wanted out of life. It almost seemed a waste when compared to Rarity's desires.

Neither Applejack nor Fluttershy dealt with change very well. Twilight could see Fluttershy putting on a brave face and pretending to be happy for her, but Applejack would just tell her how she felt outright.

And Spike… her number one assistant. Twilight's heart ached the most thinking about him. She remembered how the tears streamed down his face, how he cried out in terror for her not to leave him when King Sombra had trapped him in his worst nightmare: not being needed. Would that nightmare become a reality? What would she need Spike for when she no longer had books to stack, no longer had letters to send?

Twilight started walking. She knew that she should follow Princess Celestia's directions and teleport back to Ponyville, but she was afraid. Afraid of what her friends would think. Afraid that they might confirm her own thoughts: she wasn't ready.

Twilight headed slowly through the statue garden, her eyes looking around but her mind not paying attention. Procrastination was not a habit Twilight practiced frequently, and it was only serving to unsettle her further.

"Hey, Twilight!"

"Ah!" Twilight jumped and whipped her head toward a smiling unicorn stallion adorned with the golden-plated armour of the royal guard, including a long metal spear. "O-oh, hello Javelin Tosser… Sorry, I was just, uh…"

The dark grey unicorn waved her off. "Don't worry, Twilight, you're welcome to wander the grounds. It's been a while since I've seen you in Canterlot, is all."

Twilight nodded, her right ear twitching as it always did when she was nervous. "Uhh, yes! Yes, of course… lovely day, er, night for a walk!" She forced a laugh. "Do many ponies come up here at night?"

Javelin Tosser shook his head. "Nah, the Canterlot Archives are usually pretty desolate. You were always the only one in here when you were younger, remember?"

"O-of course, ha, how could I forget?" Twilight stared up at the huge building. The last time she had been in the Archives was when she had tried to sneak into the Starswirl the Bearded wing with Pinkie Pie to find the time spells.

"Did you want me to let you inside, Twilight?" Javelin Tosser offered. "It's not trouble."

Twilight shook her head no. She had no reason to go into the archives now; what use would a time spell be in helping her realize her true destiny?

Twilight hesitated, her right ear still twitching as her mind went into overdrive. What if there was some way she could see the future? What better way to reassure her friends that everything would be alright, or explain to the princess that she wasn't cut out for the job, then to tell them that she already knew for a fact what would happen? The future was a changeable time period, obviously, but if Twilight could just see what would happen if she became a princess… just make sure everything would be okay…

"A-actually, Javelin, do you think you could unlock the Starswirl the Bearded Wing for me?"

Javelin smiled. "Sure, no problem! Hold on a sec."

Twilight watched as he fiddled with his keys. This was insane. Time spells were exceptionally dangerous, illegal but to the most powerful unicorns. One tiny change in the past could affect the entire future. She hadn't been aware when she'd first travelled backward in time, but she could be getting herself in serious trouble by repeating the offense.

Of course, this was the future, not the past. And she'd only be looking, not actually travelling. Twilight repeated these words over and over in her head, willing them to calm her and allow her to do what needed to be done.

She was pretty much an alicorn anyway, right?

Javelin Tosser unlocked the heavily chained doors to the Starswirl the Bearded Wing and stepped aside. "I'll just be outside if you need anything else, Twilight!"

"Thanks Javelin! Have a good night!" Twilight's heart was beating furiously now, just like it always did before a test, whether that be a written test or a physical challenge befitted only for the Elements of Harmony themselves.

Element of Magic. She could do this. She could do this easily… she hoped.

The towering bookshelves made her feel exceptionally tiny. She trotted among the rows of books and scrolls, looking frantically around for one scroll to give her what she needed. She knew that if she had the power to send herself backward in time, then she should be able to simply glimpse the future with relative ease.

Twilight magically took down several scrolls from the last shelf and decided whether they were worthless based on the first line. _'A document of forbidden torture spells', 'Incurable magical ailments', 'Alicorn power and its historical abuse'. _Twilight made a mental note to read that last one later.

The row Twilight picked contained controversial and illegal documents. She knew she really shouldn't be searching through them, but time spells fell under both of those categories. The potential to change events after they'd happened was too powerful for most ponies, anyways. Even she had only managed a minute or so the first time, but that was all she needed right now.

Besides, glimpsing the future was different from changing it.

'_Time travel – seeing the future'. _Twilight's heart leapt in excitement and she quickly read on. _'If what one seeks is a clearer view, speak these words aloud to see a future without you.' _Perfect. It was exactly what she was looking for. Twilight scanned over the rest of the scroll several times, then read it out loud. _"Past to present, and onward from there, seek what is sought; be not unaware.' _Twilight squinted to continue reading as her horn started to glow brightly. _"Concentrate now on a place and a time, and you shall then go there with the help of this rhyme. Leave your worries and abandon your caution, as you are now in a world where you have long been forgotten."_

Twilight concentrated hard on Ponyville, ten years into the future: long enough for her to see the full effects of her crowning on her friends. There was a blinding flash of white light, and Twilight felt an intense pressure on her body.

Suddenly, she was sprawled on the ground. Twilight groaned and realized that she was now outside, although she wasn't sure exactly where she was. Fearing that she had somehow failed the spell and accidentally teleported, she picked herself up and looked around.

Wherever she was, it wasn't Canterlot, and it certainly wasn't Ponyville. There were several very worn down buildings, and nopony else in sight. "Hello?" Twilight called. She didn't receive an answer, so she took a few cautious steps forward.

As she took in more and more of the ghost town, she slowly started to recognize it. She could see the Carousel Boutique, though there were several wooden boards hammered over its entrance. There was an empty space where Sugarcube Corner used to be, and her own library tree was leafless and dead.

She hadn't failed the spell; this was Ponyville a decade later. Twilight stared at it, her mouth slightly agape. She hadn't expected the spell to physically bring her to the future; she didn't think she was powerful enough for such magic. Then again, she was close to becoming an alicorn; maybe her magic was appropriately increased.

Regardless, if this worked like the spell to travel back in time, then she probably didn't have more than a few minutes. She needed to figure out whether Ponyville was in shambles because she had become a princess, or because there had been a nuclear war in recent years. The second option seemed far more likely, though not much more comforting.

Twilight knew there probably wasn't much point, but she knocked on Rarity's door to be sure. The boutique seemed to have been long ago abandoned.

She went to the library tree next, and knocked there as well, though felt a bit silly doing so at her own house. The door creaked loudly as she opened it, and Twilight was at least pleased to see that the books were all neatly intact – just as she'd left them before going to Canterlot. "Spike?" she called, though it was mostly just wishful thinking. Her home clearly hadn't been occupied in many years.

There was only one thing off about the room, and Twilight being Twilight noticed it immediately. There was a crumpled piece of parchment lying at the foot of one of the bookshelves. Twilight magically picked it up and unfolded it:

'_Spike:_ _I'm going to Canterlot for a few days. The princess said she had some important things to discuss with me. While I'm away, make sure to look after Owlowiscious, keep the books sorted, and do __not__ eat too much junk food. I'm serious Spike, you remember what happened last time, don't you? Anyways, I'm sure you'll do fine on your own for a little bit._ _Don't destroy the library while I'm gone! (I'm just kidding, Spike. You'll do great!)_ _Love,_ _Twilight'_ There were tear stains splattered at the end of the letter. A cold chill ran through Twilight's body. This was the note she had written just a few days ago. Why was it still here? Twilight exited the tree and galloped out of town. Even if most of Ponyville was gone, she knew there were still two of her friends who wouldn't be able to leave. Applejack – whose farm was permanently planted just outside of the town, and Fluttershy – who was in charge of Ponyville's animals, and therefore could not leave… or so she prayed, because she desperately needed some answers. … What do you think? Any good? Leave me a review and tell me. :3 Also I've decided to change that little break thingy specifically for the author's notes. The ones that separate scenes won't have the bolded underlines, but you'll understand once you see them. 


	2. Appleless Trees

Thanks to Wing Zero 032, Flightstar, Jake-Everfree, Blakey, and Laserlens4 for their reviews!

Fun fact: I cried while writing this chapter.

I don't own MLP.

…

Applejack and Fluttershy lived at opposite ends of Ponyville, but Twilight decided to visit Sweet Apple Acres first. There was a better chance of Applejack still living in Ponyville, since Fluttershy could potentially look after animals in a different town.

Twilight hadn't seen any animals around, anyways.

As she approached, she could see that ten years had done a lot to the old apple farm. More than half of the trees were leafless and bent as if weary of standing. The ones that remained looked far from healthy, and the few that still had apples were bearing fruit that was substandard to what Twilight remembered.

The orchards were eerily quiet, and Twilight wondered if anyone still lived there. The Apples leaving their farm for any reason couldn't be possible. Applejack had the same pride for her trees, rolling fields, and often replaced barn as she did for her family. It was a part of who she was.

Twilight stopped in her tracks as she spotted the pony she'd been looking for. Applejack was curled up underneath one of her apple trees and looking forlornly into the distance. Twilight knew that her friends were now a bit past their prime, but they shouldn't yet be old enough to be considered middle age. It was the little things that set Twilight's heart on edge – the way she had her left hind leg extended just a bit too far behind her, how her mane was a touch shorter than Twilight remembered. She'd never seen Applejack lie down on the job before.

She looked… old.

Twilight thought she hadn't been heard until Applejack's ears flicked and she glanced over her shoulder. They held eye contact for several moments before Applejack got to her hooves. She walked with a heavy limp, avoiding placing weight on her left hind leg. Her expression was one of pain and confusion. Twilight hurried to meet her halfway.

"Applejack…" Twilight wasn't sure how to react, so she waited for the orange earth pony to fill in the silence.

There was a long pause. Applejack stared at Twilight, as if trying to gauge whether or not she was real. "Twilight Sparkle?" she asked, her voice a bit weary, but otherwise unchanged. "Is that… is that really you?"

Twilight wasn't sure if Applejack had ever called her by her full name. It was odd, and Twilight didn't like it. "Yes, it's me. Well, a younger me than who you know… I time travelled to the future."

Applejack's mouth was slightly agape. "You… you look exactly the same, Twilight."

"Really?" Twilight asked. Time must had been kinder on her than on her poor friend. "Do I live nearby? I haven't seen any ponies around town, and I thought it was really odd that I didn't see any of our - "

"Twilight." Applejack interrupted, staring anxiously into Twilight's violet eyes with her emerald ones. "You've been dead for ten years."

A pang of horror flowed through Twilight's body. "No… no, that's impossible!" Twilight argued, her eyes widening. "From the time-travelling spell I just did? No, even if my magic was powerful enough to literally send me to the future instead of simply look at it, I should have returned to Canterlot as soon as the spell wore off."

Applejack just stared at her with tired eyes. "You vanished into thin air, far as your records are concerned."

Twilight waited for Applejack to elaborate, but she didn't. It was painful seeing her stubbornly independent friend looking so weak. "Applejack... what happened?"

Applejack closed her eyes. "They sent search parties out, Twi, but after weeks of nothin' we assumed ya'd done a spell badly or somethin'. After they called them back, Ah kept hopin', but…" She let out a long, drawn out sigh. "Ah'll be honest, Twilight. Things went bad once you left."

Though Applejack had yet to elaborate, Twilight already felt as though she was living in a terrible nightmare. What if the spell had been permanent? She'd already done it improperly by teleporting herself here, after all. The lavender unicorn said nothing, her silence urging Applejack to continue.

"At first, the five of us stayed close. Didn't want to separate in the wake of such a tragedy." Applejack shifted her hooves slightly. It was a subtle movement, but Twilight had never seen her make it before. "It wasn't long before the stress got to all of us… affected us differently, Ah suppose." She shifted her weight again, struggling to remain comfortable. "Let's go sit under that tree, Twi, and Ah'll finish there." She gestured to an apple tree that was no longer bearing fruit, and started limping toward it.

Applejack curled up underneath the tree, and Twilight slowly imitated her movements. She couldn't help it anymore; she needed to know. "Applejack… what happened to you?"

Applejack bit her lip and hung her head. The comment had stung her. "It's… it's an old injury, Twilight. A few weeks after you… died or disappeared or whatever you did, Rainbow couldn't handle her grief. She created the biggest thunderstorm in Ponyville's history, and told nopony beforehand. Knocked down 'bout a quarter of our trees, and left the rest without fruit."

"Rainbow…" Twilight murmured, tears pricking at her eyes.

"It came on real suddenly. Apple Bloom and her friends were outside playing… Ah had to go try gettin' 'em, but the winds were awful heavy. Broke off a large tree that crushed mah back left. It was months before Ah could walk more than a few steps without help, and a year before Ah could start workin'. Honestly, it was manageable until a few months ago. Ah've been overworkin' myself, and Ah've put too much strain on the injury."

"What about your family?" Twilight probed desperately. "Apple Bloom? Big Mac?"

Applejack's expression hardened. "Ah don't want anythin' to do with either of 'em."

A chilly wave of horror rushed through Twilight's body. "I…" Twilight forced herself to come up with more words. "…Granny Smith?"

"Died a year after you left." Applejack said, her voice obtaining a hollow tone. "She was old, and the year had been stressful. We knew what was comin'. Didn't make it much easier." In the silence that followed, a gentle wind played with their manes and rustled the remaining leaves on the trees. "Apple Bloom got her cutie mark not long afterward. Know what it was?" More silence. Twilight didn't want to hear anymore. "A hammer and a few nails. Not an apple. Not even close. Apple Bloom wasn't meant to be here; she was _never _meant to be here on the farm, and it took Granny's death for her to figure that out. Left for Manehatten without a backward glance."

Twilight let out a shaky breath. "What about Big Mac?"

"He comes 'round occasionally. Doesn't live on the farm, though."

Twilight knew that the silence was deliberate, but she couldn't help herself. "Where does he - "

"With that good fer nothin' _pegasus," _Applejack threw the name of the subspecies as if it were an insult. "Fluttershy."

"F-Fluttershy?!"

"Yeh." Applejack stared bitterly away from Twilight. "They were datin' before you were gone, did y'know that?" Applejack turned her glare to the purple unicorn, who hesitated under the icy gaze.

"No… no, I didn't." Twilight said honestly. Applejack's expression softened.

"Figures. She lied to everyone. After Apple Bloom left, they announced they were gettin' married." Tears were pricking at Applejack's eyes now, though her voice remained steady. "My family was bein' taken away from me one by one. Big Mac said he'd always be there to help with the farmwork, but he slowly stopped comin' by too. Spent more time with that… with that…" Her voice finally broke, and she hid her face with her hat. "…Can't believe Ah considered her a friend when you last saw me, Twi. It's been so long since then…"

Twilight went to her, wrapping a hoof around her neck and pulling her close. Applejack sobbed, years of pain finally spilling out of her and onto Twilight's neck. Twilight comfortingly ran a hoof over her friend's mane and down her back, feeling the groove of every single rib as her hoof brushed over them.

Applejack had always been the rock in their friend group. Twilight remembered when Spike had accidentally caused a fire in her library; Twilight had quickly put it out with an extinguishing spell, but the damages to half a shelf of books were irreversible. The cost of replacing them was hefty, but she didn't own the library, so legally speaking it had to be done.

A small issue, now that she had so much in comparison to think about.

Still, after she couldn't take Spike's excuses and desperate attempts at check-balancing anymore, she'd gone straight to Sweet Apple Acres. The concern in Applejack's emerald eyes flashed through Twilight's memory. She'd explained her predicament to the other mare by collapsing and sobbing heavily on the ground like a little foal. Applejack just smiled sadly and stroked Twilight's mane until her tears were exhausted. _"Sugarcube, y'know Ah'm always right here. Ah'll help you pay for the books, if it's really that much of an issue. Heck, Ah'm sure the others'll help out too. So don't you worry, Twi; it'll all be okay."_

A gesture that she couldn't possibly accept, but its notion was so reassuring and so valuable: she'd be okay. As long as her friends were standing by her, she would be okay.

Twilight flattened her ears and hugged Applejack tightly. She wanted so badly to tell Applejack the same thing, but she knew so little about her situation. She wasn't sure if it was worth the risk of lying to the most honest pony in Equestria.

"Thanks, Twilight," Applejack sniffed, but made no move to separate. "Ah wish so badly that things were still as you left 'em…"

"This is my fault…" Twilight murmured, the painful guilt clear in her voice.

There was an awful silence where a childish part of Twilight was expecting to be comforted. It was Twilight's doings that destroyed everything the earth pony held dear. She felt stupid for thinking Applejack didn't hate her for it.

"It was a domino line, sugarcube…" Applejack broke off from Twilight and let her blonde head rest on the ground. She shut her eyes tightly. "Ah can't take many more of 'em fallin', though."

Twilight straightened. "I'll get you help. I-I… I know I can fix this…"

Applejack didn't look up. "That's kind of you, but there's no point. It'll take years for the orchards to grow back. Can't sell what Ah have now… Ah can barely eat what Ah have now…" Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but Applejack raised a forehoof to interrupt her. "Don't tell me to leave, Twilight. Ah've already been a huge failure in the eyes of mah family. Destroyed centuries worth of work… but if one thing's fer sure, Ah'm gonna follow in their hoofprints and go down with the orchard."

Twilight furrowed her brow. "I can't let you live like this, Applejack. Come with me; I'll get help."

Applejack stared defiantly at the ground. "I ain't budgin'."

Twilight pawed at the dirt anxiously, and tears pricked in her eyes. She couldn't stand seeing Applejack like this any longer. "Please, just come with me."

Applejack looked up, and Twilight could see tears running down her face. "Ah can't. Ah can't, Twilight."

"I… I'm not leaving you here to die!" Twilight exclaimed in a high pitched voice. Some fire returned to Applejack's expression, and the two ponies glared at each other.

"Where would Ah go, Twilight?!" Applejack yelled, the outburst startling the unicorn. "Fluttershy and Mac hate me, and with good reason, too! Rarity's dug herself a hole so deep she can't see out of it, Apple Bloom's gone down the wrong path in more ways than one, Celestia knows where Pinkie is, and Ah don't give a _buck _whatever happened to Rainbow Dash!" Applejack took an aggressive step forward, and Twilight cautiously took one backward. The orange mare panted for a few moments, then sank back to her haunches and sighed. "Just… just go, Twilight. Go like all the rest of 'em."

"A-Applejack - "

"GO!" Applejack screeched, then she stood and started limping away.

Twilight watched her leave, and couldn't bring herself to stop her. Her heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces.

What had she done?

…

;-; Updates probably won't be this frequent, but they should still be fairly consistent. I already had this chapter written and wanted to get it out asap because I like it better than the intro.

As per usual, hit me with any comments/ questions/ critques/ whatever in the comments. :3 Thanks guys.


	3. Laden Butterflies

Thanks to Wing Zero 032, Commie, Alex Barkhorn, AL3X TH3 H3DG3HOG, LaserLens4, Northgalus2002, Cat, Somepony, jurassicboxing, Ana121, and devin43a for their reviews!

How do I have this much support after only the second chapter… you guys are so awesome. ;-;

FYI, if you leave me a signed review, I WILL respond to it. Even if you're just like "sweet story" I'll be like "OMG THANKS :D" so yeah. I can't help myself, I just love everybody who takes the time to support me and my work. If you don't want me to do this, just say so. Or leave a review while signed out.

(I don't do this on fimfiction for the sake of not flooding my own comments box. Lol)

Anyways, I don't own MLP.

…

When Twilight left Sweet Apple Acres, the sun had nearly disappeared beyond the distant hills. By the time she'd arrived at Fluttershy's cottage, completely out of breath, Luna's beautiful moon had replaced it. Applejack might not like the yellow pegasus, but Twilight couldn't even start to think of a bad thing to say about her. To Twilight's relief, the cottage looked a bit worn, but it was far from inhabitable. The bird feeders were still filled, and several little bunnies, ferrets, and other small woodland creatures were lounging around the property. There were a couple of apple trees growing around the home, all of which looked much healthier than the ones under Applejack's care. Somepony definitely still lived here. Twilight had to set things right.

The unicorn approached the cottage door and gave it a gentle rap. If Fluttershy wasn't home, then Twilight had no idea where she could be. There wasn't much of a Ponyville for her to visit, after all.

There wasn't a response, so Twilight knocked again. This time, she could hear voices from inside the house. The door slowly opened, and Twilight instantly recognized Fluttershy's face as her teal eyes peeked out. Twilight smiled at her. "Hello, Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy stood frozen in place. "T-T-T-Twi… O-o-oh… oh my goodness… MAC!" Fluttershy suddenly screamed and slammed the door in Twilight's face. "GHOST! I SAW TWILIGHT'S GHOST!"

Twilight sighed. She probably should have realized this would happen; after all, she was supposed to have been dead for ten years.

The door opened again, and this time Big Mac was staring at her with an unreadable expression. He was married to Fluttershy, Twilight had to remind herself. She smiled sheepishly. "Uh, hey Big Mac!" The red earth pony blinked and continued to stare at her. "I'm not dead," Twilight tried to reassure him. "Listen, I did a time-travel spell incorrectly and I think I ended up stuck in the future. If you haven't seen me for ten years, that means I never returned back… and that's why I've been gone." It was a harsh reality that hadn't quite sunk in yet. Big Mac just stared, and Twilight shifted awkwardly. "Uh, is it okay if I come in?"

Big Mac glanced over his shoulder. "Oh… o-okay…" Fluttershy's soft voice floated from within the house, and Big Mac nodded before opening the door completely.

Twilight smiled. "Thank you. Now, I know it's been a while since…" Twilight trailed off as her vision landed on Fluttershy. The lavender mare's attention was diverted almost instantly to the pegasus's stomach. She was heavily pregnant, likely not too far off from foaling. Twilight could barely believe what she was seeing.

Fluttershy blushed under Twilight's gaze and curled on top of her sofa, allowing her swollen abdomen a place to rest. Big Mac walked over and placed one of his huge hooves on hers with a small smile, but then looked at Twilight with a stern expression. "Y'shouldn't be startlin' a mare in foal."

Twilight frowned. "I'm sorry. I had no idea…"

"Twilight," Fluttershy said in an anxious voice. "I… I just don't understand how you're here…" Both ponies were giving Twilight a look of uncertainty. Twilight understood it; they didn't trust her. She tried to imagine herself in their situation, and could understand that seeing a friend that they had long accepted as being gone forever would be really disturbing.

"I know this is probably a bit overwhelming…" Twilight said slowly. The couple nodded. "But… I was never dead. I thought that the spell said it would only allow me to glimpse the future, but I think I underestimated my own abilities… and besides, it was illegal magic. I should never have touched it. I must have accidently trapped myself ten years into the future… but that still doesn't explain why I never went back. Why couldn't I have revisited the archives and tried a different spell to send myself back?" She realized she was chiding herself, and shook her head lightly. When she looked back up, she noticed that Fluttershy's eyes had filled with tears. Twilight's ears flattened. She had to remember that this wasn't all about her. "Fluttershy… I'm so, so sorry…"

Big McIntosh backed off, allowing Twilight to approach and wrap Fluttershy in a gentle hug. Fluttershy hugged her back, and the two stayed like that for a few moments. Fluttershy sniffed and broke off with a small smile. "I missed you, Twilight."

Twilight gave a weak smile back. "I just saw you a few days ago, so I guess I can't really say the same." To Twilight's immense relief, Fluttershy giggled. "When are you due?" Twilight asked out of curiosity.

"Oh, in a few weeks… I guess it could be any day now, though…" Fluttershy gave a genuine smile that was absolutely heartwarming, especially given what Twilight had experienced back at Sweet Apple Acres.

"You two must be excited, then."

Big Mac moved back to Fluttershy's side, and the two exchanged loving nuzzles. Given that Twilight wasn't used to seeing them as more than friends, let alone married with a foal on the way, the display of affection was a bit awkward for her to watch. "Eeeyup." Big Mac droned as a response to Twilight's question.

Fluttershy laughed and prodded the red stallion. "Come on, Mac, you don't have to be so quiet around Twilight. She's a friend."

Big Mac looked at Twilight sheepishly. "Ah know. Ah was just lettin' you two talk." Twilight had to admit that they seemed to be good for each other. She'd never heard Mac string more than two words together before today.

"It's funny…" Twilight mused, her mind starting a different train of thought. "Applejack didn't mention your pregnancy when I visited her."

The cheerful mood dissipated immediately. Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Oh no, you talked to Applejack already?" Her ears flattened to her head. "What did she say about me? Oh, she still hates us, doesn't she? Twilight, I'm so sorry, I promise I didn't try to hurt her - "

"Shh, shh, darlin'…" Fluttershy silenced under Big Mac's coaxing, but she continued to stare intently at Twilight.

"Was she… okay?" Fluttershy asked, her teal eyes begging for information.

"Um…" Twilight hesitated, and Big Mac caught her attention by silently nodding while Fluttershy's gaze was still directed at the unicorn. He was giving her a pleading look that Twilight understood meant she should lie through her teeth. "She looked fine to me…" Twilight said slowly, watching as Big Mac gave a grateful smile.

"Oh… good. I haven't seen her since…" Fluttershy put a hoof on her huge stomach. "She wouldn't take it very well. She hates me." Fluttershy looked distressed. "She thinks I stole Mac away from her…"

"We were datin' a bit before you left." Big Mac elaborated. "Ah wanted nothin' besides mah own life, and a special somepony to share it with." Fluttershy managed a smile at his words. "After AJ got hurt, well, what was left of the farm was entirely my responsibility. It was too much for me to handle all by myself."

"What happened to Rainbow Dash?" Twilight interrupted. Applejack had skipped any details regarding the cyan pegasus, and though Twilight hadn't felt comfortable asking her about it, she needed to know the truth.

Big Mac and Fluttershy shared a look. "I'll tell you later, Twilight," Fluttershy said meekly, which made it pretty clear that something bad had happened.

There was a pause, so Twilight nodded. "Okay. Sorry, you can keep going, Big Mac."

McIntosh nodded. "Well… after Granny passed and Apple Bloom left, Applejack was still tryin' to recover… Ah wouldn't let her do any buckin' or heavy liftin'; not good for her leg. Course, Ah guess that didn't leave her with much to do."

"She was sad and restless," Fluttershy elaborated. "I thought… I thought maybe… if she knew that she could have more family to rely on…" The pegasus sighed. "Oh Twilight, it's all my fault. AJ didn't take our marriage announcement very well at all. Mac warned me she might not, but I was so anxious, a-and I thought it would be okay…"

"So… you've just sort of… fallen out?" Twilight asked, her voice a bit hollow.

"Well…" Fluttershy looked away from Twilight. "There's more to it, but…" She hesitated, tears forming in her eyes.

"It's okay." Twilight quickly stopped her, since Fluttershy clearly didn't want to continue. Twilight wasn't sure if she wanted her to continue either.

Fluttershy smiled at Twilight through her tears. "Thanks. I'm sorry…" Several white bunnies came rocketing around the corner, and Twilight took a few surprised steps backward as they leapt eagerly onto the couch and gathered around Fluttershy. The pegasus wiped at her eyes and gave a soft laugh. "I know, I know, it's time to get ready for bed. You poor little things must be sleepy. Do you want a snack first?" The rabbits responded with great enthusiasm, and Fluttershy glanced at Twilight. "These are Angel's great-grandbunnies." She giggled as they pushed themselves against her, and Fluttershy gently patted them.

"Do you need any help?" Twilight offered.

Fluttershy shook her head. "I'm okay. The animals have been so good to me recently." She glanced out the window to the darkened sky, and frowned. "Twilight?" she asked, tipping her head to the side. "Do you have any place to stay tonight?"

Twilight shuffled a hoof. "I-I guess I could go back to my tree."

Fluttershy looked concerned. "All by yourself?" She shook her head and gave a warm smile. "Why don't you stay here for tonight?

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked.

"Of course!" Fluttershy slowly moved off of the couch, and the white bunnies sped ahead of her into the kitchen. "Mac?" Fluttershy asked, looking over at her husband. "Can you set up the cot for Twilight? Oh, and can you give the chickens their last meal and check on the ferrets for me? They've been awfully lazy today, the funny little things."

"'Course, hun." Big Mac said with a nod as Fluttershy smiled and exited the room. "Twilight? Do y'think you could lend me a hoof?"

Twilight was taken aback at first because she had expected him to suggest helping Fluttershy, but one look at his expression suggested that he had a deeper meaning behind pulling her outside. "Sure!" Twilight agreed, and followed him as he left the cottage.

They walked in silence to the bridge that allowed access to Fluttershy's house over the river. Big Mac ducked his head underneath it, to where Twilight could see several otters and a large seal all fast asleep. Big Mac backtracked to where the birdhouses were, and checked inside those as well.

Twilight cleared her throat. "Big Mac?" The red stallion glanced over his shoulder to show he was listening. "Why is Applejack all by herself?" Her tone came out more hurt than she'd intended, but maybe he deserved it. He was all Applejack had left, and he was allowing her to suffer in a situation that was beyond her control.

Big Mac didn't say anything, but walked over to an apple tree and glanced up to where the ferrets were sound asleep in the sturdy branches. "Cause she's shut everyone in her life out. Besides her old dog, that is." Big Mac finally answered as he started to circle around the house.

Twilight trotted to keep up with him. She couldn't remember seeing Winona when she was at the farm. "Mac, I saw Applejack today." He gave her a sideways look. "She's injured. She's starving." Twilight let out a shaky breath as Big Mac reached up to get the chicken feed. "Why can't you help her?!" Twilight exclaimed, her frustration at his lack of response finally showing in her tone.

Big Mac hesitated before he could grab the feed, and turned to face Twilight. "We're still here, aren't we?" he asked, and Twilight wasn't sure what he meant at first. "We stayed in Ponyville when the town collapsed years ago. Ah couldn't leave her, not by herself. Ah don't think she was so much mad at me and Fluttershy; she was mad at the world. But she thought for sure we were abandonin' her."

Twilight may have been absent for a decade, but she knew Applejack well enough to understand what had happened without Big Mac telling her. "So she turned on you for it, and when she realized she'd made a mistake, she was too proud to forgive you."

"Well, Ah reckon she still believes we're about to take off on her. AJ doesn't trust anypony now, Twilight; they've all abandoned her. That's why Ah couldn't let Fluttershy visit in her condition."

"Why?"

"'Cause we'll be leavin' after the foal's born," Big Mac said with a heavy sigh. "Can't let mah child grow up without other foals to play with. Ain't right. Besides, it can get real lonely… we've had our rough patches, but we still love each other, and Fluttershy's good friends with Zecora, though she travels often. But Ah miss the town life, Ah really do."

Twilight was starting to realize just how much the earth pony had sacrificed. He'd given up his farm for Fluttershy, and he'd given up a better life for Applejack.

Well, until now.

Big Mac pulled the bag of chicken feed down and heaved it onto his back. Twilight followed him as he made his way to the chicken coop, but stayed outside when he entered it. Her mind wandered past the noises of the hens' loud clucking and back to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack hadn't pushed her away until she had suggested that she leave. Twilight realized now that she'd hit a nerve by mentioning it.

But Twilight was from the past, which made her pretty much the only pony Applejack could feel safe trusting. As Big Mac reappeared and went to put the bag of feed back where he found it, Twilight looked at him resolutely. "I think I'm the only one who can help Applejack. I'm going to fix this… I have to fix this."

Big Mac looked at her, surprised etched on his face. "Ah'd be so grateful if you'd try… but… you need to be careful, Twilight."

Twilight gave him an odd look. "Why do you say that?"

"She's like a trapped animal; frightened and easily provoked." Big Mac looked like he wanted to say something else, but then he paused and shook his head. "Just be careful." He started walking away, and Twilight flattened her ears. Things were so different. Her mistake was so seemingly small; magic could be tricky sometimes. Errors weren't uncommon.

This error just happened to cause her friends to suffer for the rest of their young lives.

Twilight followed Big Mac back into the cottage, and watched as he retrieved a folded cot and attempted to figure out how to unfold it in the living room. Twilight wordlessly picked the bed up with her magic and assembled it neatly on the ground.

Of course, she had no problem with _that _spell.

Fluttershy joined them with a smile. "That looks perfect. I'm sorry, Twilight, it's been so long… you aren't allergic to any animals, are you?"

Twilight shook her head. "No."

Fluttershy frowned. "Are you okay down here by yourself? One of us could sleep on the couch?"

"I'm fine."

Fluttershy and Big Mac shared a look. "Alright… Are you sure you're okay, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked, concern flooding her tone. "Do you want some water, something to eat?"

Twilight shook her head mechanically. "I just need sleep. Thanks for letting me stay, Fluttershy."

"O-oh, that's not a problem…" Twilight didn't respond, so the couple took a few steps backward. "We'll leave you be, then."

Twilight watched them as they ascended the stairs, then she collapsed onto the cot. It complained loudly under her weight, but Twilight ignored the noise, curled up into a tiny ball, and squeezed her eyes shut.

"You can fix this… you can fix this…" she whispered under her breath, clutching her tail tightly for support. Tomorrow she would ask Fluttershy about what happened to Pinkie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. She would find out why Ponyville was gone, and why Fluttershy and Applejack both thought that the other hated them.

"They don't hate each other…" Twilight murmured to herself. "They can't… they're friends…"

She would find Applejack. Twilight could make her see reason. If she couldn't, maybe she could find a spell for a temporary solution. Just to get Applejack off of the farm and as far away from it as possible.

And then a whole decade of pain would be… gone?

Twilight curled herself tighter as tears poured down her face. "It'll be okay… Celestia have mercy… it'll all be okay…"

…

You guys probably thought I was gonna make Flutters have the worst life. Look, I was sort of good to her!

I don't feel that Applejack and Fluttershy really get along in canon either. Rainbow and Fluttershy? Sure. Rarity and Applejack? I think so. Fluttershy and Applejack? I just can't see them as friends. xD Maybe their relationship just hasn't been fleshed out well enough, but whenever they're in a scene together they're always arguing. (See: keep calm and flutter on, applebuck season, winter wrap up… etc.)

But yes, feel free to leave a review if you're so inclined, and thank you for reading!


	4. Vague Memories

Thanks to Alex Barkhorn, AL3X TH3 H3DG3HOG, Picklemonman, Northgalus2002, Wing Zero 032, LaserLens4, Pikachu913, Cat, Scarlet Rabbit, devin43a, and Anodyne the Animal for their reviews!

I don't own MLP.

…

Twilight awoke to the sound of chattering animals and splattering rain. She blearily opened her eyes, and through the darkness could see several animals shaking rain out of their fur and trying to settle themselves around the living room. Realizing that she probably wasn't going to get back to sleep until they quieted, she sat up and looked around. The sun's morning glow was just barely starting to peak through the window.

"Oh, Twilight. I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to wake you." Twilight followed the sound of Fluttershy's voice, and could see that the pregnant pegasus was dripping wet. Fluttershy moved her sopping mane away from her face, and gave a weak smile. "The weather patterns are erratic now that the pegasus ponies don't service Ponyville as much anymore. I had to get up and take the little ones inside."

Twilight glanced at the grey seal, which she was surprised fit through the doorway, and gave a small smile at Fluttershy's word choice. Twilight's horn started glowing to cast a drying spell on her friend, but she stopped herself. Magic had the potential to cause unwanted effects on unborn foals, and she didn't want to take any risks. "Jeez, it must really be raining," Twilight noted, then rolled out of bed and walked to Fluttershy. "Hold on, I'll get you a towel."

She turned to walk up the stairs, but Big Mac was already walking down with two white towels draped over his back. He went to his wife and wrapped one around her body, and gently used the other to dry her mane. "Ya should've woken me up, hun. Too rough for you to be outside, 'specially before daybreak."

Fluttershy took the towel from his grasp with a small laugh and began drying her mane herself. "Don't be silly: it's my job to take care of the animals, Mac." She rewarded his thoughtfulness with a peck on the cheek anyways. Big Mac gave a small grin before repeating the gesture on her lips.

Twilight looked away and decided to busy herself by making her bed. She pulled the covers into position with her magic, then slowly started to put the pillows properly at the head of the cot.

"Twilight?" The unicorn turned around to see Fluttershy walking toward her. "Mac's making breakfast, but why don't you come with me in the meantime?"

Curious, Twilight nodded. "Alright."

She followed Fluttershy up the stairs and into her bedroom. Twilight couldn't recall ever being in there before, and was surprised to find that it was quite spacious. Wooden furniture adored most of the room, and a few birds were sleeping on top of an empty coat rack. Twilight heard Fluttershy sigh, and looked over to find the cause. Fluttershy was frowning at a small table in the corner of her room, and Twilight noticed that it was covered with pictures. Specifically, pictures of the six of them.

The largest picture in the center filled Twilight with longing. It had been taken not long after she'd moved to Ponyville. Pinkie Pie's beaming face took up the entire bottom of the photograph, as she had been the one holding the camera. Twilight herself stood in the center above Pinkie's curly mane, and Rainbow Dash had a foreleg wrapped around her neck. The cyan pegasus was airborne, and her wings were flared out proudly. They were both smiling, but not at the camera. Their attention was focused to the right at Applejack, who was laughing at Rarity. The white unicorn was fussing with the cowpony's hat, trying desperately to make it stay perfectly in place for the photograph. Fluttershy was on Rainbow's left, watching the scene across from her with a concerned frown.

Twilight remembered that photograph vividly. Rarity had demanded that they retake it, but it embodied their friendship so perfectly that nopony else would agree with her.

Twilight tore herself away from the scene, and looked to the other framed pictures on the table. There was only one photo of a pony she didn't recognize, so it caught her attention immediately. It displayed a very young unicorn colt with a white coat, deep blue eyes, and a light blue mane. His colours actually made him look quite a bit like Shining Armor as a foal, and Twilight smiled. "Fluttershy, who's this?" She gestured to the picture with a hoof.

"That's Blue Jasper." Fluttershy giggled. "Rarity's son. Isn't he cute? I think he's just turned seven, but this picture is a few years old."

Twilight blinked several times, trying to register what she'd just been told. "Rarity has a son?!" she exclaimed, looking between Fluttershy and the photo frantically. "But Rarity doesn't even like kids!" The words had tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Fluttershy gave an amused smile. "She has a daughter, too, but I don't have a picture of her."

Twilight's mouth hung open. "Is she married? Who's the father?"

Fluttershy frowned, but nodded slowly. "Yes… actually, you might be a bit surprised. It was a huge controversy, because he's an older high-class stallion, and he was already married…"

Twilight's eyes widened considerably and she turned to stare at the picture of the colt again. "...Oh Celestia, did she marry my brother?!"

Fluttershy looked surprised for a moment, then her expression softened and she laughed. "No, no, Twilight, calm down. His name is Fancypants; he's a really well-known stallion, a bit of a celebrity."

"The one Rarity was flirting with during Shining's wedding?" Twilight remembered him from her birthday too. She'd always thought that Rarity was less in love with Fancypants and more in love with Fancypants' social status, but it had been ten years since then. Things change, as Twilight was starting to know all too well.

Fluttershy gave a nod. "Yes."

"Wow…" Rarity was married with foals. A sudden surge of emotions nearly brought Twilight to tears, and it took her a few moments to understand where they came from. "I… I always thought it would be Applejack…"

"What do you mean, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked sweetly, her teal eyes holding concern.

"Sorry… just, of all of us, I thought it would be Applejack that would get married and have kids." The words sounded so innocent coming out of her mouth. It made Twilight acutely aware that Fluttershy was a decade older than she was, and that she probably sounded like a whiney little filly to her.

Fluttershy gave a small smile. "I'm sure she would have loved that." Her smile broke, and she stared at the ground.

"Sorry, I…" Twilight decided to change the topic by pointing at the image of Pinkie's head in their group photograph. "I noticed Sugarcube Corner was gone."

Fluttershy nodded. "The Cakes sold their land to a small business owner. They tore down the house to make room for it, but with the state of the economy, I guess they decided not to build anymore."

"Where do they live now?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't know. I'm sorry, Twilight. The last time I saw Pinkie…" She paused for several moments. Twilight wasn't sure if she was going to continue.

"Fluttershy?"

"I… sorry…" She closed her eyes for a few moments, then continued in a tone that was barely above a whisper. "I… I was pregnant once before, but we lost the foal a few weeks after we found out…" Fluttershy sniffed, tears glistening in her eyes. Twilight put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "A few days after… after that happened... Pinkie Pie showed up."

Twilight quizzically raised an eyebrow. "At your cottage?"

"Yes, in this tiny little party car. It was the first time I'd seen her in years." Fluttershy wasn't looking at Twilight, but was instead staring at the picture of Pinkie. "She didn't say hello, just bounced in and hugged me." A small smile appeared on Fluttershy's face, and she sniffed again and reached to touch the picture. "She explained that she'd learned to use her Pinkie sense to tell when ponies need to be happy, and so that's what she does now. She travels around Equestria and goes where she's needed."

"That's… interesting." Twilight had long accepted Pinkie's strange abilities as just being a part of who she was, but something about Fluttershy's story seemed off. "Why… why doesn't she keep in contact with you?"

Fluttershy removed her hoof from the photograph and looked at Twilight. "I don't know. I'm sorry."

Twilight bit her lip, but decided to drop the topic. Her eyesight landed on a photograph of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy laughing together. Rainbow Dash had a Wonderbolt's outfit on, minus the goggles.

"That was the last time I saw Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy must had followed Twilight's gaze. "She'd just been accepted onto The Wonderbolts."

Twilight felt happy that her friend had finally accomplished her lifelong dream of joining the elite flying team. Her initial emotions were countered by the upset look on Fluttershy's face. "What happened?" Twilight asked carefully.

Fluttershy sighed. "I think the fame wasn't all she thought it was. The reporters said good things about her, but they also said really mean things. Sometimes they wrote about how she was lazy, or how she skipped practice a lot. They said she wasn't a team player, that she wasn't fit for it." Fluttershy picked the photograph of the two of them off of the table, and looked at it longingly. "The stress got to her. She… she was arrested four times on counts of FUI."

_Flying Under the Influence. _Twilight hadn't known Rainbow to be much of a drinker. "That's… wow, that's a lot of times…" Twilight's brain worked in overdrive, but she failed to comprehend Rainbow's behaviour. "Is that just a fine? Or…?"

Fluttershy shook her head, causing Twilight's heart to clench in horror. "It is for the first three times, but after the fourth it's four months in jail. She was found guilty of property damage as well, so…"

Twilight hung her head. "I-I can't believe…" Twilight had never even met another pony who'd been sent to jail before. "That must really have affected her…"

"I guess so, yes…" Fluttershy said, causing Twilight to shoot her a confused look. "All I really know is from newspapers, Twilight, back when we still got them. I haven't seen Rainbow Dash since that photograph. I know she lost her place with The Wonderbolts, but I don't know what else happened to her."

Twilight turned away from the table and bit back her emotions. "I think I've heard enough, but thanks for showing me, Fluttershy."

"…Twilight?"

Twilight started walking toward the stairs. "Let's go eat."

…

The enticing scent of eggs and toast wasn't quite enough to stir Twilight from her thoughts. The three ponies ate in what would have been silence if not for the constant bickering of the animals in the other room. Their caregiver was constantly on call, and left the table frequently to solve quarrels.

"That was delicious, Big Mac. Thank you." Twilight smiled her appreciation once all three of their plates had been emptied.

"Yer certainly welcome, Twilight," he droned in his deep voice. "What yer plan for today, then?"

Twilight stood up and used her magic to lift the plates into the sink. "I'm going back to see Applejack." The anxious look on Fluttershy's face was enough to tell Twilight that she shouldn't elaborate. "I'll be fine. I just want to make sure she's okay… you know, because, uh, seeing me yesterday must have been a shock."

"The rain is awfully heavy, Twilight; you shouldn't be outside. Right Mac?"

"…Applejack'll appreciate your company, Twilight." The gratitude in his tone was unmistakable. "How 'bout you take her a basket from us? Some eggs and apples and such."

Fluttershy stared at her husband. "A-are you sure that's a good idea?"

Big Mac stood up and passed an already filled basket to Twilight. Twilight accepted it with her magic. She stole a look at Fluttershy, who looked very confused. "I'll make sure to give this to her." Twilight smiled, trying to seem lighthearted. Beneath her happy expression, her heart was beating rapidly. This was her first chance to try and fix this mess she'd caused.

And she would fix it. If it took her whole life, she would fix it.

"O-okay, Twilight…" Fluttershy stood up and wrapped her in a hug. "Be safe. And… thanks for coming back." Her last words were spoken in a rushed, embarrassed whisper, but Twilight was accustomed to Fluttershy's tiny voice.

"I'm so sorry. I caused you so much pain, all because of a stupid mistake…"

"It's okay. You're welcome to stay the night again, if need be." Fluttershy smiled warmly.

"Be careful, Twilight," Big Mac called after her. Twilight recalled the conversation she'd had with him the day prior, and understood his meaning.

"Thanks Fluttershy, thanks Big Mac." Twilight smiled back at the couple and turned the door handle with a hoof.

She immediately regretted it. The winds roared into the house, blowing her mane straight back and sending any animals unfortunate enough to be standing nearby squealing as they retreated further into the cottage. Twilight floated the basket to sit between her teeth, and used all of her magical will to create a small forcefield around herself. "'Ee? O 'ig 'eal…" Twilight said, her attempt at communication blocked by the basket handle.

"Bye, Twilight!" Fluttershy called as a well-protected Twilight delved into the storm and back toward the dead apple farm.

…

Obligatory basic and vague background chapter, sorry.

And did I decide to mention that all of the important upper-class unicorns are white with blue eyes? Yes, yes I did. Good one there, Hasbro. (I can't seriously be the only one who thought Shining Armor looked more like Rarity than Twilight, right guys? …Right?)

Feel free to leave me a review. I love all of you. Peace out!


	5. One Last Try

Thanks to devin43a, Northgalus2002, Wing Zero 032, AL3X TH3 H3DG3HOG, Somepony, elitsama, Pikachu913, Cat, mooneyboys, and MissWolfPirate for reviews! I've had a really stressful few weeks and I don't think I got around to replying to all of you, but just know that I read every single one and I get so excited when I see that I have new reviews. Thank you! I'll be better this time around.

I don't own MLP.

…

Twilight walked through her hometown, her vision tinted purple due to the force field she was hiding behind. The rain whirled past her, though the cloud cover was erratic, making the sun visible through the grey storm clouds.

Conjuring a force field wasn't a particularly difficult task to Twilight, though carrying it with her was proving to be taxing. Still, Twilight had decided not to teleport in favour of getting another look around what she remembered as a bustling little town. The once occupied buildings now stood aged and forgotten. The wind was causing roof shingles to fly off and window shutters to slam helplessly against their houses. She paused for a few moments to catch her breath, the wicker basket clutched between her teeth impeding her breathing a bit, and stared around Ponyville with frightened eyes.

Had her disappearance really caused all of this trauma? Certainly Ponyville took advantage of Rarity's growing fame to get attention for their own businesses. Without her being there, it was certain many organizations using this tactic would have given up. Barring that possibility, most of the social activities relied on Pinkie's party planning. Whether Pinkie was aware of it or not, she was the one who kept the strong sense of community running.

Nopony truly relied on the librarian. They'd done fine without her for years before she'd moved in. But still… if she'd caused Rarity and Pinkie Pie to leave…

Twilight pushed the thoughts out of her mind. She had no proof. Fluttershy had mentioned an economic downturn, after all... which was probably caused by the collapse of the biggest supplier in Ponyville: Sweet Apple Acres.

Twilight hung her head and continued walking until she reached the fields of dead apple trees. Their knarred branches moved stiffly in the wind, and just thirty feet ahead of her, one tree gave into the wind's power with a loud crack and collapsed onto its side. Twilight moved cautiously, her breath coming in short pants from magical exertion.

She reached the farmhouse and ceased her force field in order to pound at the door. The rain attacked freely without her shield. Twilight floated the basket out of her mouth and knocked again. "Applejack? Applejack, are you there?" Twilight closed her eyes tightly as the chilly winds tore through her body. "Applejack!"

The door opened and Twilight rushed in without waiting for an invitation. Applejack stared at the newcomer in disbelief as Twilight groaned and resisted the urge to shake herself like a dog. "T-thanks… it's pretty bad out there…"

"Wait a bit. It'll be sunny, mark mah words," Applejack said bitterly as she stared suspiciously at the floating basket. "What's that? And what are you doin' here, anyhow?"

Twilight cast a quick drying spell on herself, trotted into the kitchen, and levitated the basket onto the counter. "It's from your brother. I just came to visit, and he said I should bring it to you." The Apple Family kitchen's stovetop and cabinets were outdated even by Twilight's standards, which gave the room a homely feel. Movement caught Twilight's eye, and she turned to see Winona curled up on a pillow in the corner. She didn't move to jump on Twilight like she usually did, only watched. The only part of her in motion was her tail, which thumped slowly against the pillow.

Applejack scoffed and limped over to examine the basket. "Ah don't want nothin' from him. Lazy colt couldn't even come himself. Ah haven't seen him in months, y'know." She peered into the basket, which caused her stomach to growl loudly, though she didn't acknowledge it.

Twilight smiled. "I can make breakfast, if you want."

Applejack frowned at her. "You mean to say you haven't eaten? Ah know that ain't true. Mac wouldn't…" She cleared her throat. "Doesn't matter. Ah don't need to eat now."

Twilight tried her best to keep smiling against Applejack's bluntness. "Are you sure?"

"'Course Ah'm sure. Now…" Applejack gave Twilight a hard look. "Was there somethin' ya needed?"

Twilight slowly shook her head. "I just… I just wanted to visit…"

Applejack was quiet for a few moments, then she sighed. "Ah'm sorry, Twilight. Ah know this must be hard for you, too…" She sat back on her haunches. "But… why did you come back?" She sounded genuinely confused, which made Twilight's heart clench. Big Mac was right: she was accustomed to abandonment.

"I was worried about you." Twilight looked into the basket she'd brought, and pulled out two eggs and an apple. "Everything's so different… I need to help."

Applejack didn't say anything. She didn't stop Twilight from turning on her stove. She didn't try to argue that she didn't need Twilight's help. She just sat and watched as Twilight cooked an apple omelette. Winona's nose was sniffing frantically, and finally she pulled herself onto all fours and moved slowly, unsteadily toward the scent. She whimpered before settling down halfway between her pillow and Twilight, and Applejack watched her with a frown.

"Applejack?" Twilight asked as she levitated a plate of food and a fork in her direction. "You were right: I've already eaten. It'll be a waste if you don't take it."

Applejack didn't look Twilight in the eyes, but still accepted the omelette. "Ah never took you as much of a cook, Twi…"

"I'm… I'm not, really…" Twilight watched as Applejack ate her first couple of bites rapidly, but her appetite dropped off before her breakfast was even a third gone. Twilight knew it wasn't her pride holding her back any longer: it was her health.

Applejack watched her mostly-filled plate for a few moments, but seemed to decide she was finished. "Thanks, Twilight… you… you really are a good friend…"

Twilight forced a smile, though her throat burned with the desire to cry. "O-of course."

"Hope you don't mind if Ah give the rest to Winona… she needs it…" Applejack settled the plate in front of the old dog, who sniffed at it curiously.

"I understand." Twilight's voice was becoming quieter every time she spoke, her confidence in her ability to appear strong quickly diminishing.

"Twilight…" Applejack looked over with sad, defeated eyes. "Ah'm sorry Ah couldn't hold things together for you…"

Twilight couldn't take it anymore. Tears spilled down her face, and just like she had all those years ago, Applejack hobbled over and patted her back gently. "W-w-what do I-I do?" Twilight's voice shook with her sadness, and she looked pleadingly at Applejack. "Please… just tell me a-and I'll do it… I-I promise…"

"Sugarcube… Ah dunno what to tell ya…" Applejack's voice was filled with warmth, but it did nothing to ease Twilight's anxiety.

"Why don't you and Fluttershy like each other?" Twilight blurted out. "You two are friends! You _need _each other!"

Applejack frowned. "We hurt each other…" Applejack looked away. Twilight couldn't see her face. "She lied to me, and she took Mac away, and Ah know she always tried to make up for it… but… Ah dunno what happened, Twi. Ah guess Ah gave up."

"…What did you do to her?" Twilight felt daring asking it. She wasn't expecting a response.

Applejack was quiet for several moment. "Can't tell ya, Twilight. Ah barely even remember what happened… blind rage… you'd… you'd hate me, too…" She was still facing away from Twilight, but she sniffed audibly. "A week later… that was the last time Ah saw Pinkie."

"Pinkie Pie?" The abrupt topic change had Twilight intrigued. From what Fluttershy had said, Pinkie only visited those that needed it, but Applejack seemed to need a friend more than anyone. "Why?"

Applejack was quiet for a few moments. "Sorry… shouldn't have brought it up…"

"Applejack?"

Applejack wasn't looking at Twilight. She was staring silently at the brown and white collie lying on the floor. Winona gave a soft whine. She hadn't touched the plate in front of her. Applejack moved to floor level and softly stroked the dog's greying fur. Winona's tail thumped weakly in response to the attention. "Twilight?" Applejack's voice was strained, her eyes still focused downward. "Can… can you do me a favour?"

"Anything," Twilight reassured with a small smile.

"Can… can you…" She wrapped her forelegs around Winona's body, and hugged her close. "Can you take Winona to Fluttershy?"

Twilight hesitated. Applejack buried her head into Winona's coat. "I... Of course. Of course I will."

Applejack nodded and squeezed Winona tighter. The old dog looked at Applejack, seeming confused by the increased pressure. She moved her head to be close to her master's, and gave Applejack a comforting lick.

Applejack moved away, but smiled. Tears were streaming down her face. "Ah know you can't hear anymore, girl, but Ah've already told ya all Ah've needed to. You deserve to go peacefully…" Applejack's gaze lingered for a few moments before she tore herself away to look at Twilight. "Fluttershy won't turn down an animal in need. Ah don't think there's much she can do 'sides keep her comfortable, but she's a vet and… and Ah just want Winona to die peacefully. Ah can't let mah best friend suffer anymore."

"I understand." Twilight watched for a few moments as Applejack quietly said her goodbyes to the only friend she'd had for several years. It filled Twilight with fresh guilt. "I'll take a walk, and then I'll teleport Winona with me to Fluttershy's cottage. Okay?" As Applejack had predicted, the rain had stopped, and the sun peaked through the erratic cloud cover, giving Twilight a good excuse to leave the pair to their last moments.

Applejack nodded without looking up. "Thank you, Twilight."

…

Twilight appeared inside of Fluttershy's cottage with a bright flash of purple, Winona clutched tightly within her forelegs. When Twilight had returned back to the farmhouse, Applejack wordlessly handed Winona off and disappeared into another room. Twilight hadn't even gotten the chance to say goodbye. Now the collie whined, startled by the unfamiliar method of transportation and confused by the new surroundings. Fluttershy whirled around the corner, a foreleg shooting to her chest. "Oh, Twilight, you startled me..."

Twilight shook her head lightly to clear it; teleportation was exhausting magic. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy, I would have aimed to appear in front of your house, but…" She glanced down at Winona, who was panting heavily and staring around the room anxiously.

Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Is that… is that Winona?" She quickly trotted over for a better look, and frowned. "Oh, you poor thing, how could Applejack let you get in such a state?" Anger, something that Twilight rarely saw in Fluttershy, flashed across her face. "I don't understand her. I really… I just don't."

Twilight released Winona to Fluttershy, who stroked her softly as she looked her over. Big Mac, who seemed to have heard the commotion, appeared and stared in shock at the old dog. "Winona…" he muttered, quickly going next to Fluttershy to pet her. "Is she alright?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "She's in a lot of pain. I don't think there's anything I can do… I'm sorry, Mac."

Big Mac hung his head and nodded. He glanced at Twilight. "Can't believe Applejack would give her up…"

"She said she didn't want to see her best friend suffer," Twilight explained.

Fluttershy stared at Winona with a hard resolve. "Too late for that…"

"Now, love…" Big Mac sounded a bit nervous. He gave a sideways glance at Twilight. "Y'have to understand mah sister's predicament…"

Fluttershy sighed. "I… I know. I'm sorry." Twilight couldn't tell whether it was meant as a genuine apology, or just a means of quieting her husband while she had company. Either way, an outburst, even a quiet one, was rare for Fluttershy. Twilight's desire to know what exactly had happened to cause Applejack and Fluttershy to dislike each other was piqued, but she knew better than to pursue her curiosity.

She had more a more urgent issue to figure out, anyways.

Twilight turned toward the door. "Thanks for your hospitality last night, but I need to leave."

"Twilight? Where are you going?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight hesitated and looked backward. Fluttershy and Big Mac were giving her concerned looks. "I'm going to Canterlot. I want to find Princess Celestia and see if there's any way I can go back to my time."

"I'm sorry, Twilight, but I don't think that's possible…"

Twilight paused and turned around. "Why not?"

"The trains from Ponyville stopped runnin' years ago," Big Mac explained. "No way t'get to Canterlot unless ya've got wings."

Twilight took a few moments and thought back to what Princess Celestia had told her before she'd decided to go to the archives. "I can teleport there." She was barely sure of her own words, for she'd never attempted such a feat before. Still, if that was the only way to get there, then she would have to give it all she had and hope for the best.

"All the way to Canterlot? Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked, surprised. Twilight's friends knew very little about magic compared to Twilight's own knowledge of the subject, but even earth ponies and pegasi knew how difficult long-distance teleportation could be.

Twilight nodded and closed her eyes. "I think so. I have to try. If I don't see you soon, good luck with the foal, but I will see you again. I promise." She focused energy into her horn, and grunted slightly at the effort. She concentrated as hard as she could on Canterlot – the better her focus, the better the result.

And then, with another flash of purple light, she was gone.

…

One last angsty Applejack chapter… and now we're moving on out! Who do you think Twilight's gonna find in Canterlot? (this isn't a trick question it should be kind of obvious)

On a random note, I live smack in the middle of apple farming country (no, literally, I'm basically a relative of Applejack's. :D), and dead apple trees are so ugly that they're kind of beautiful. They're all twisted and leafless… I wanted to have Twilight express this somehow, but having her notice how beautiful the dead apple trees are would kind of kill the tone… haha.

Hopefully the relationship between Applejack and Fluttershy comes off as complex as opposed to contradictory, because that's all it is.

Until next time! Leave a review. :3


	6. A Change of Scenery

Thanks to Guest, spiderwilliam13, Northgalus2002, Half Dime, LaserLens4, Picklemonman, AL3X TH3 H3DG3HOG, Mlp Lover, Wing Zero032, and AbsoluteMangaqueen for reviewing! I apologize if I ever screw up any of your names when I'm typing them in. 50 reviews woo!

I don't own MLP.

…

"…_on now…_

…_up…_

…_Wake up… Miss? Miss?"_

"W-wha…" Twilight groaned and became aware that she was slumped on cold, hard pavement. She dizzily looked up into the unfamiliar face of a powder blue unicorn mare adored with an over-zealous hat and a frown.

The mare gave an irritated sigh. "Well, it's about time! I was about to flag for paramedics. Come on now, up you get!" She had a Canterlot accent. Twilight's ears twitched.

"C-Canterlot?" Twilight asked as the mare pulled her to her hooves, where she swayed but did not go down again. "Am I in Canterlot?"

The blue mare scoffed. "Of course, child. Where else were you expecting to be?" Twilight was barely listening, her head swiveling to take in more of the city. Familiar beautiful multi-storied buildings surrounded the wide streets, though the castle towers that loomed over top made them seem tiny in comparison. Unlike Ponyville, Canterlot was as busy as ever, and the sun shone without a cloud in the sky. A few ponies gave her curious looks as they passed, but the majority seemed too focused on their destination to pay her any mind. "Gracious, I know teleportation spells can be difficult, but honestly, where were you coming from? The other side of town? Practice small-scale first, or you'll end up hurting somepony, hmm?" the blue mare chided.

Twilight gave a small grin. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for stopping."

The mare turned to leave. "Oh, not a problem, dear. If you're all right, I best be on my way. I'm late for a mane appointment!"

As the blue mare trotted off down the busy streets, Twilight smiled giddily. She'd done it. She'd actually done it! She felt as though she'd been run over by a royal carriage after staying up for three nights straight, sure, but a teleportation spell of this magnitude was unheard of being performed by a simple unicorn.

Twilight now set her sights on Canterlot Castle. If there was anypony that would be able to help her out, it would be her mentor, Princess Celestia. Twilight took a few wobbly steps forward before settling into a more normal pace. She'd be able to rest at the castle.

Twilight walked down the streets while looking curiously at the shops her hometown had to offer. A few of them she recognized, but the majority she had never heard of. It was actually a familiar name that caused her to stop and stare in disbelief: "Carousel Boutique".

Twilight went to it automatically, her mind filled with a mix of surprise and joy. There was always the possibility that it wasn't the same Carousel Boutique she was familiar with, but her anxiety to find Rarity pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she walked in.

The interior was absolutely enormous. In the center, what appeared to be an actual carousel was slowly making a constant rotation. The plastic mannequin horses attached to it displayed glittery designs that Twilight was now certain must have come from gem-loving Rarity. Aside from that display, there were also several dozen designs displayed in glass cases that were placed in such a way that they made the room look even larger than it already was. Several ponies, mostly comprising of the Canterlot elite based on their exquisite clothing choices, were chatting with each other and watching the mannequins spin with interest.

"Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chique, unique, and magnifique!" The voice didn't belong to Rarity, but Twilight was still disappointed when she turned and found a young pink unicorn mare smiling at her instead of her white-coated friend. "Is there anything I can help you with today, ma'am?"

"Oh, hello." Twilight smiled and walked to her. "Do you know where I can find Rarity?"

The pink mare looked startled for a moment before giggling. "Oh, Mrs. Rarity doesn't come here very often. She works from home. Do you have a business inquiry?"

"Oh… no, I'm actually a friend of hers who's, uh, visiting from out of town…" It sounded far more plausible than her time-travelling fiasco. "I don't know her address, though."

"Hmm…" The pink mare thought for a few moments, seeming stumped by the predicament. "I'm sorry, you'll have to visit the customer service desk. I don't think I can help you." She pointed in the direction of a long desk that was made of glass and encrusted with actual diamonds.

Twilight nodded. "Thank you." She approached the desk, where a yellow unicorn with a bright-blue updo was chatting fervently on the phone. A nametag identified her as "Sunset Polish".

"No, I'm sorry sir, but we don't make exceptions. We are a designer clothing company, not a custom jewellery factory." Sunset rolled her eyes and gestured for Twilight to wait a moment. "Uh huh. Uh huh. No, sir, but I would be happy to direct you to Jeweller Sophisticates, it's right across the…" She sighed. "Yes, sir I… Okay, I'm going to have to put you on hold for a moment. I have customers to attend to." Twilight could faintly make out an angry stallion before she clicked the phone off. "Yes, how can I help you?" Sunset asked, the irritation still prevalent in her tone.

Twilight forced a smile. "Yes, I'm looking to get in contact with Rarity? She's a friend of mine."

Sunset looked her up and down and then laughed. "You're not the first who's tried that story."

Twilight wasn't sure what she meant. "I'm not?"

The yellow mare shook her head. "Who wouldn't want to be friends with one of the biggest Celebrities in Canterlot? However, dear, I am not authorized to give out personal information, especially not to somepony who's just wandered in off the streets!"

Twilight's ears flattened. "O-oh… I honestly didn't realize. I really am a friend, I knew her back from Ponyville - "

"Unless you want to talk business, in which case you have thirty seconds to explain which modelling agency you're coming from, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Sunset explained with a hard look.

Twilight hesitated. "Can't you give me a phone number, anything?"

Sunset picked up the phone again and placed a forehoof over it. "Sorry hun, like I said, I can't give out information like that." She cleared her throat and removed her forehoof. "Yes, hello sir, thank you for waiting…"

Discouraged, Twilight turned to leave. She was almost at the exit when a pink hoof tapped her shoulder and stopped her from moving.

"U-um, ma'am, if you have a minute…" The mare who had first greeted her snuck a few anxious looks around before leaning in close to Twilight's ear and speaking in a low voice. "I want to help you, but the only thing I can really say is… Go to The Moonlit Tavern tonight."

"The Moonlit Tavern?" Twilight repeated quietly for conformation. The pink mare nodded.

"I think you'll find somepony who can help you," she whispered before another customer walked in. She immediately perked up. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique!"

Twilight exited, relieved to have at least found a lead. The sun was already starting to set, but she still had time to pay Princess Celestia a visit before she ventured into the nightlife. Now that Twilight thought about it, it was likely that the princess would be able to give her Rarity's address and save a trip to The Moonlit Tavern altogether.

There were two pegasus guards stationed outside of the castle entrance, but this was nothing new. Twilight didn't recognize them. She gave them a smile and moved to walk onward, but they extended their wings and prevented her from entering. Twilight's smile faltered. "My name's Twilight Sparkle," she introduced, though the guards were staring stoically ahead. "Uh, I know it's been a while, but I'm Princess Celestia's personal protégée, and I'd _really_ appreciate it if you let me into the castle."

"We cannot let you pass." Neither of the guards moved, but the one on the left spoke. "Not without formal consent of a royal party member."

Twilight pawed at the ground, frustrated by this delay. "I wish to speak to your captain, then."

"Dusk Sword is unavailable."

"No, I mean…" Twilight paused, suddenly realizing she hadn't been misunderstood. "What happened to Shining Armor?!"

Both of the guards' eyes finally shifted to focus on Twilight. "You know Shining?" This time the one on the right was the one who spoke.

"Yes, he's my brother," Twilight explained. "Can you send him down here, please?"

"I'm afraid that's impossible," the guard on the left said, emotionless. "He moved to the Crystal Empire several years ago."

Right. Cadance was the princess of the Crystal Empire. It would make sense that Shining Armor would move to be with her. She realized that not knowing the whereabouts of her acclaimed brother was making her look very suspicious, so she decided on another tactic. "Okay, well, how about Javelin Tosser? Fireshield?" The two guards didn't respond to those names like they had with Shining. Twilight groaned. She was on a first-name basis with half of the royal guard, and she wracked her brain to come up with more names. "Uh, Star Crosser? Sacred Light? …Oh come on… Pigeon Feather? Night Striker?!" It didn't seem to be any good. She was only receiving blank looks.

"If you would like, I can request a form to be filed for a meeting with the princesses, though I make no guarantees," one of the guards said.

Twilight perked up. "How long will that take?"

"Considering the backup, probably about two to three weeks if your meeting is short."

Twilight made an annoyed noise. "That's not soon enough! I need to see Princess Celestia _right now!" _

"Princess Celestia is on errand in the Crystal Empire and won't be back for several days."

"Several… days?" Twilight gaped. Since when did Princess Celestia leave the castle for that long? Twilight couldn't remember being apart from her for more than a day when she was a filly. "Okay, well, Princess Luna, then!"

"We will put in a request. Have a good day, Ms. Sparkle."

Twilight groaned and turned away from the guards. The sun had vanished in the time she had spent arguing with them, and Twilight could faintly see Luna raising the moon on her balcony. Twilight had half a mind to send out a magical flare, but didn't want to risk alarming the royal guard.

Her most immediate concern now was her own well-being. She hadn't eaten since morning, and her stomach was starting to ache with hunger. The exhaustion from her teleportation spell had died down somewhat, though she would not object to an early night. And now, as she stood in the middle of the darkened streets of Canterlot, she realized how alone she was. She didn't have the energy to teleport all the way back to Fluttershy's cottage, so if she couldn't find Rarity…

Twilight wandered the streets of Canterlot, keeping her head uncertainly low as she looked around for the tavern. It was around the time of night that the more extroverted ponies flocked to the bars in hopes of having a good time that they likely wouldn't remember. Twilight held a hoof out to stop one such pony. "E-excuse me, could you tell me where - "

The mare giggled and ignored her before staggering in the opposite direction. Twilight gave a frustrated sigh.

She walked for another block when the sound of a familiar, if more mature than she remembered, singing voice flowed through the night air.

Twilight immediately whirled around and realized she'd nearly walked past the bar. It had its name on the side of the building, but it was obscured by the amount of ponies walking by: The Moonlit Tavern.

Twilight pushed her way past the crowds and through the door. Twilight looked toward a small stage where the pianist and singer were slightly elevated above the floor, and her jaw dropped.

It was Sweetie Belle, but the tiny filly she remembered had grown into a gorgeous young mare who easily rivaled Rarity in beauty. Her perfectly curled pink and purple mane and tail hovered mere inches above the floor, and her stunning green eyes surveyed the crowd with a seductive gaze.

Easily her most beautiful feature was her voice. Twilight remembered her being talented, but she'd clearly had lessons since then. She hit the high notes with ease, her vocal squeaks far behind her.

However, the biggest change, in Twilight's opinion, was the image that now rested on her flank - a pink heart overlapped with two black beamed eighth notes.

"_Soft summer rain, our last goodbye,  
you held me close, said not to cry..."_

Twilight listened in awe. There were a few other ponies either watching or singing along with smiles on their faces, but the majority were ignoring her, drinking and talking loudly to their friends.

"_Ponies tell me I made a mistake,  
not worth the pain, not the heartache,  
Soft summer rain, and though I have tried,  
I'll never forget the tears that I…"_

Sweetie Belle broke off suddenly, her eyes widening as her gaze landed on Twilight. The stallion sitting at the piano gave her a concerned look. Sweetie noticed and quickly grabbed the microphone. "Uh… who wants to see some solo piano?" she shouted, which received mixed reviews from the drunken crowd. Twilight noted that she had acquired a slight Canterlot accent. "C'mon everyone! He takes requests! Give it up for my good friend, Mr. Jazz Hooves!"

Twilight watched as the unicorn at the piano gave a humorously dramatic bow before assaulting his instrument with a sheer passion that finally drove the crowd into wild cheers.

"Excuse me?" Twilight turned and was surprised to find Sweetie Belle standing directly in front of her. "Do I know you from somewhere?" Her face was scrunched up as if she was thinking hard.

Twilight frowned. "Sweetie Belle, it's me, Twilight!"

Sweetie Belle gave her a blank look for a few seconds, then she gasped. "Oh my goodness, it is you!" She beamed widely for a few moments before obtaining a look of utter confusion. "Um… aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"I messed up a spell. Sent myself ten years into the future."

"Oh…" Sweetie Belle watched her with wide eyes, as if fearing Twilight might accidentally explode. "Does Rarity know?"

Twilight shook her head. "Can you take me to her?"

Sweetie Belle's ears flattened. "I'm kinda working right now. Jazzy might kill me if I skip out on him again." She perked up, and smiled over at Twilight. "You were listening to me, right?"

Twilight nodded and smiled warmly. "You have a beautiful voice."

"Aw, thanks…" Sweetie Belle blushed. "Yeah, I guess it made sense that it took us longer to earn our cutie marks. My special talent isn't just singing: it's singing _love songs." _She shifted slightly, showing off the heart and eighth notes that comprised her cutie mark. "Love isn't something you know much about until you're older, right? That's why it took so long. And Scoots had to learn to fly and Apple Bloom had to… well, realize that sometimes the path you're set on isn't always the one you're supposed to end up on…" She scratched her head, her own words seeming to confuse her. "Huh. That would make a good lyric."

Twilight nodded absently and looked around anxiously. For it being so early in the night, there were a lot of ponies gathered around the bar. "Sweetie Belle, listen, I - "

"Heyyy Sweets!" A brown unicorn stallion barged in between them and wrapped a forehoof around Sweetie's shoulders. "I gotcha somethin'…" He winked and floated a martini glass with some sort of pink liquid to her, and Sweetie accepted it with her magic.

"Aww, well aren't you just adorable!" Sweetie Belle fluttered her eyes and moved her head close to his. The stallion tipped his face downward to meet hers, and grinned. "You'll stick around to watch me sing some more, hmm?" she purred in a seductive tone that Twilight was shocked would come out of the little filly.

No, wait. Not a filly. She already knew that Rarity was eight years older than Sweetie Belle, which technically meant Sweetie was now two years older than Twilight.

"Wouldn't miss it for nothin'. You drink that, and I'll getcha something stronger," the stallion promised huskily. Sweetie Belle closed the gap between them, and a few patrons sent out wolf whistles as their lips connected.

It didn't last long, and Sweetie separated and rolled her eyes as the stallion staggered back to the bar. "Ugh, it's way too early for this," she commented and sipped at the martini. "Hm. Raspberry."

Twilight looked pointedly at the brown stallion. "Is that your coltfriend…?"

Sweetie Belle looked confused for a moment, then she giggled. "I have no idea who that was…" She glanced around, and moved in closer to Twilight before speaking in a hushed tone. "They pay me way more if I flirt with the customers. I don't have to do anything too crazy, just gotta watch my drink and make sure I'm not too smashed by the end of it to sing." She sighed and moved back. "Speaking of which, I really should get back up there…" Sweetie turned to look at the stage, where the crowd was starting to lose interest in the pianist.

"Wait, Sweetie Belle," Twilight called, causing the other unicorn to turn around curiously. "I feel terrible asking, but I… I kind of don't have anywhere to stay tonight, and I don't have any money… or food…" Her stomach growled, and she internally scolded herself for the reminder.

Sweetie Belle looked shocked. "Oh my gosh, are you serious?"

Twilight nodded, feeling increasingly pathetic. "I was planning on staying with the princesses, but the guards wouldn't let me in. Do you think you could direct me to Rarity's house?"

"Rarity?" Sweetie Belle thought for a few seconds. "Well, she's probably already put the kids to bed, and she has to work in the morning… and I know she'd be really happy to see you! But I don't want to give her entire family a heart attack." Sweetie Belle smiled. "You can come stay with me and Jazzy tonight, okay? We share a flat not too far from here. I'll tell Jazz and I'm sure he'll let me off early. And hold on a sec, I'll get you something to eat. The food's okay here, don't worry."

Twilight let out a long breath, relief flooding through her. "Thank you so much."

"No problem!" Sweetie Belle trotted over to the bar and leaned in close to the male bartender, one hoof supporting her head, and she smiled as she spoke to him. Twilight couldn't make it out, but the bartender nodded and disappeared out the back. Sweetie Belle hopped away and winked at Twilight before gesturing her over to the bar. "He's got you covered."

Twilight smiled gratefully and took a seat well away from the crowd. "Thank you, Sweetie Belle."

Sweetie Belle had already climbed back onto the stage, and the pianist ceased his solo act, looking very relieved that his singer had joined him. "Alright everypony!" Sweetie Belle called into the mic, earning cheers from the crowd. Her eyes connected with Twilight, and she grinned. "This song's dedicated to an old friend of mine…"

…

The carousel in Carousel Boutique was inspired by Lauren Faust's original designs. Such an epic (though impractical) idea.

This chapter came out so quickly because I already had the second half of it written. Also because I have a lot of work to do and my favourite method of procrastination is writing mlp fanfiction. Hehe.

That's all for now! Leave a review and I'll leave a response. Also, if there's any chapter that's bound to have typos/ errors, it's this one because I wrote it pretty quickly and it's really long, so be sure to point any out to me! Thanks!


	7. Innocence

Thanks to Wing Zero 032, James Birdsong, VeeEight, jo beast master elf, AL3X TH3 H3DG3HOG, Northgalus2002, starmaker12, Pikachu913, walkingdeath12, EmilySayzRawr, Scarlet Rabbit, PrincessVanelia, Blake Geometrio, and Guest for their reviews!

Pretend that Sweetie's lyrics are really amazing and beautiful. I'm not good at writing lyrics. Ha.

Also, strong language is briefly used in this chapter.

I don't own MLP!

…

"…_Angel, angel, wherever you are,_

_Look to the sky and we'll see the same stars,_

_Angel, angel, you're loved and you're missed,_

_If I had wings, I'd grant you one last kiss,"_

Sweetie Belle was singing passionately into the microphone, all the while smiling in Twilight's direction. Meanwhile, tears were streaming down Twilight's face. Her emotions were brought on from a variety of factors: nopony else seemed to know the song, Sweetie Belle had dedicated the song to her, but mostly because it was a song about death. From these three things, Twilight could conclude that Sweetie had written this one herself.

"_Innocence ignored, new paths defined,_

_Angel, angel, you left us all behind,_

_Life isn't fair, but neither is death,_

_Nopony was there to see your last breath,_

_But, angel, one day…_

_One daaaaay!"_

Sweetie Belle fell into a stunning fermata that caused the crowd to applaud and scream their appreciation. Sweetie Belle finished the note and paused for a moment. Her next words weren't sung, but spoken in time to the piano.

"One day… I'll see you again."

The crowd let out a series of cheers and yells, many of them already requesting different songs. Sweetie Belle put a forehoof to her eyes, and Twilight realized that she'd been crying as well. "Sorry, I just… that song was called "Angel". It was one of the first songs I wrote when I was still a little blank flank. I'd just lost somepony very close to me - "

"SING "TRAIN TO CANTERLOT"!" a drunken voice interrupted, prompting the crowd to burst into laughter at the inconsideration. Sweetie Belle smiled sadly, then put on an expression of mock offendedness.

"Aw, c'mon, you don't wanna hear more of what I wrote when I was little?"

"NO!" The crowd shouted and then immediately laughed.

Sweetie Belle pouted, but her pianist had already begun the introduction to the requested song, causing the crowd to go into hysterics. Sweetie Belle looked back at the black-maned unicorn, and turned her adorable expression on him. _"Jaaaazzzyyyy!" _she whined, but Jazz Hooves only paused when he'd hit a long note, then gave her a cocky grin before ploughing onward. "Ugh, fiiine. If you guys want this song so badly, you're gonna have to start it! Ready everypony?!"

"_ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR,_

_WE'RE CANTERLOT BOUND NOW, ALL ABOARD!"_

Twilight sniffed and quietly watched as Sweetie Belle joined cheerfully in with the crowd. "I thought it was beautiful…" she murmured, though her thoughts were interrupted by a loud clang and a scent so amazing that she momentarily forgot where she was.

"Here's your food, ma'am." Twilight whirled around, her eyes widening as they landed on an absolutely enormous pile of hay fries.

"OhmyCelestiathankyouthankyou," Twilight managed to get out before diving into the meal. To her hungry body, it was heaven. The nutritional benefits to hay fries were slim to none, but Twilight's mind was too occupied to care.

She ended up eating the entire plate much too quickly, and her hunger was soon replaced with a dull stomach ache. She suppressed a groan and stole a look at the stage, hoping that Sweetie Belle would keep her promise to take her home early. Now that her belly was filled, she was starting to feel sleepy. Watching the others in the room jumping and dancing and singing and laughing was making her even more tired; she'd never been one for late-night clubbing.

"Whoa, you guys are really good singers!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed into her microphone, causing the crowd to cheer. "I hate to make you stop, but it's time for my break. Don't forget about the specials going on tonight! Two dollars off all highballs, and two-for-one jager bombs until twelve!"

Twilight wisely leapt off of her barstool to avoid the massive wave of ponies suddenly coming toward her. She trotted away from the crowd, and curiously looked at the stage. Sweetie Belle seemed to be in an argument with her pianist.

"C'mon Jazzy, I don't have a choice!" Sweetie Belle whined, her eyes staring pleadingly at Jazz Hooves.

The unicorn pianist, who was ash grey with a black mane and a rather long tail for a stallion, shook his head fervently. "No. No way. I'm not letting you leave early for the _third night in a row." _

Sweetie Belle's ears flattened. "I'm not even drunk this time, though!"

"That's not the point," Jazz Hooves groaned, his blue eyes glaring at her through dark-rimmed glasses. "Point is, we need money for rent, and they barely pay anything when it's only me performing! And rightly so! We're replaceable, Sweetie, and I'd rather prefer to keep my job!"

Sweetie Belle thrust a hoof in Twilight's direction, though kept her eyes focused on Jazz Hooves. "She's all by herself in a scary new world! I'm not making her stay in this stupid place more than she needs to!"

"I'll take her back home, then. You need to stay here," Jazz Hooves suggested with a sigh. "You're the star here, Sweetie, not me."

Sweetie Belle gaped at him. "No way! I can't let you do that! Who's gonna listen to solo vocals?!"

Jazz Hooves chuckled. "You know how to play piano perfectly well, Sweetie Belle."

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "I'm hardly as good as you. That's, uh, not really the point anyways. Twilight wouldn't feel comfortable going home with you."

Jazz Hooves snorted. "What am I going to do? _Seduce her?"_

Sweetie Belle was becoming increasingly flustered. "Your sexuality has nothing to do with this! You're a stranger to her!"

Twilight approached and cleared her throat loudly, causing two heads to swivel in her direction. "I'm really sorry you two. I didn't want to be a bother." She looked guiltily at the ground.

Sweetie Belle quickly shook her head. "Oh, no, no! That's fine, I'll just - "

"_I'll," _Jazz Hooves interrupted, glaring at Sweetie Belle, "take you back to our home. If that's alright with you, Ms. Twilight?"

Sweetie Belle gave him a pained look. "Jazzy - "

"That's fine." Twilight nodded. "I don't want you to get in any trouble because of me, Sweetie Belle."

Sweetie Belle sighed. "If you're sure, then I guess it's okay… just for tonight…"

Jazz Hooves gave a relieved smile, but his expression soon hardened. "Right then, make sure you're watching your drink, don't take anything from strangers, don't - "

Sweetie Belle waved him off. "I'm not a foal; I'll be fine. You need to take Twilight home." She turned to Twilight. "Guess I should formally introduce you… this is Jazz Hooves, he plays piano, although you probably already knew that… we went to school together when we were little foals. You can trust him, I promise."

Jazz Hooves nodded politely at Twilight, then gave Sweetie Belle a hard look. "Don't you dare come home drunk. I'll be asleep." Jazz Hooves gave his final warning, then smiled. "Good luck, Sweetie."

Sweetie Belle waved as Twilight followed Jazz Hooves out the door. "Right then, it's not too far from here. Bit small… you can sleep in Sweetie's room for the night," he explained as he expertly dodged out of the way of the oncoming crowd. Twilight had to fight to keep up with him.

"I appreciate you taking me back," Twilight said, her eyes flicking around as ponies dove in and out of bars. "But, I mean, you don't have to stay with me. I'll probably just fall asleep, anyways."

Jazz Hooves chuckled and glanced back. "You're absolutely right, but Sweetie Belle's getting what she deserves… maybe next time she'll think twice before leaving me alone, hm?"

Twilight smiled for a moment, but her expression fell as soon as he turned around again. "She's really good, though… she seems to know how to work the crowd."

"Mhmm, a talented actress, among other things."

Eventually, the pair came across a small, rather run-down looking complex. Jazz Hooves brought out an identification card and swiped it. The door clicked open, and he held it open for Twilight. "We live just up the set of stairs. It'll be the first door on your right."

Twilight followed his directions, and waited as he unlocked his apartment and turned on the lights, which flickered briefly before settling into a dull glow.

It was an unimpressive apartment size-wise, and it was apparent that Rarity did not help them with the décor. The gaudy floral wallpaper did not bode well with the brown carpet, and none of the furniture pieces seemed to be from the same set. The entryway led directly into a mid-sized living room that hosted a small kitchen in the corner, and from there it branched off into what Twilight assumed were two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Jazz Hooves closed the door behind them. "It's not much, but the rent is low. Sweetie's room is on the far side; feel free to make yourself at home."

Twilight took a few cautious steps inside. The floor squeaked under her hooves. "Thank you… but if I take Sweetie's room, where will she sleep?"

"She can take mine. I'll sleep on the couch." He trotted to it and patted it with a grin.

Twilight surveyed him skeptically. "I can take the couch, if that would be easier."

He shook his head. "It's alright; I'd rather be in front of this old telly all night anyhow." The television he was referring to was modern by Twilight's standards. "We don't sleep normally in this line of work. Now, I know you've already eaten… very impressive, by the way. I've never seen anypony eat a plate of fries that quickly." Twilight blushed and shuffled a hoof in embarrassment. "You must be exhausted, at any rate, so just let me know if you need anything." He curled himself onto the couch, flicked on the television, and sighed in contentment.

"Okay… well, goodnight. And thank you." Twilight opened the door to Sweetie's room. It was an okay size, and exceptionally tidy. It was covered in purple and pink, including the bedspread. A small keyboard and a microphone stand were tucked into the corner, and a full-sized mirror covered with hearts and lipstick kisses stood against the dresser.

Twilight curled herself on top of Sweetie's covers, feeling that going under them would be intrusive, and was asleep within minutes.

…

"_JAZZY!"_

Twilight jerked awake and blearily looked around herself. It was still dark, but from the faint moonlight Twilight could tell that she was still by herself. There was a loud thud from the other room, and Twilight flipped herself around to stare at the door.

"_JAZZ HOOVES YOU GET OFF OF THIS COUCH RIGHT NOW!" _Sweetie Belle's voice screeched.

There was a drawn-out groan. "Sweetie, you're drunk." Jazz Hooves' voice sounded as tired as Twilight felt.

"W-whatever, I wanna sleep on the couch. I wanna be here when Twilight wakes up!" Sweetie's voice was a bit slurred. "You… you go to bed, you fucking… shit. I'm drunk."

"Mhmm. Well, you're home at least. Why do you want to be here when Twilight wakes up, sweetheart?"

"C-cause…" Sweetie hesitated. "I… I forget."

"Because of your sister, Sweetie?"

"Yeah! I need to take Twilight to see Rarity… do you think… do you think I should warn her cause… cause of…?"

"Let Twilight make her own assumptions, Sweetie. I would warn Rarity, though I doubt you'll be up to doing that tomorrow morning."

Sweetie Belle started giggling. "You're so smart. I'd marry you if you weren't gay."

"Mhmm. Are you sure you want to sleep on the couch?"

"Um… yes. You'd make a really good husband, I think. Not for me, though."

"How in Equestria did you make it home… well, no matter, just get some sleep. I'm going to bed. Be quiet as not to wake your friend, though I highly doubt she's still asleep after all of this."

"Night Jazzy!" Sweetie Belle chirped as the sound of a creaky door opening and shutting echoed through the apartment.

The house returned to dead silence, and Twilight had no doubts that Sweetie had already fallen asleep. Twilight stared at the ceiling and sighed. She pictured Sweetie Belle in her mind as a tiny, carefree child with so much potential that she had yet to discover.

Twilight never imagined that cute little filly would end up like this. The familiar feeling of guilt flooded through her as she rolled over and tried to get back to sleep.

…

Twilight awoke to several loud knocks. She instinctively started to move toward the door to Sweetie Belle's bedroom, but she quickly realized that the noise was coming from somewhere else.

"This is the Canterlot Royal Guard. You have twenty seconds to open this door before we take further measures," a rough, male voice announced.

"Sweetie Belle!" It was Rarity's voice. Twilight's heart nearly stopped. "Sweetie Belle, please open the door, this is an emergency!"

Twilight burst out of the room. Sweetie Belle was sitting up on the couch and wincing every time the guards banged on the door. Her mane was a mess and she was squinting toward the door, looking very disoriented by the situation. Jazz Hooves had also peeked his head around his doorframe. His eyes connected briefly with Twilight's before he walked across the room and opened the door to the apartment.

There were four white royal guards in full armour, two unicorn, two pegasi, and they walked in as soon as the door was opened. Rarity followed them inside, her eyes desperately trying to see around the four stallions in front of her.

"Ma'am, where is your sister?" one of the guards asked.

Rarity's eyes landed on the couch. "She's right there… oh, darling, you look awful, I'm so sorry…" The guards moved aside, which allowed Twilight a better look at Rarity. Her mane was shorter, and parted entirely on one side, but it looked dishevelled. Mascara was running down her face, and her eyes were puffy and red.

"S-sis?" Sweetie Belle asked, staring at the newcomers in utter confusion.

"Rarity?" Twilight couldn't help herself anymore. Rarity's head whirled around to stare at Twilight, and her mouth dropped open.

"T-Twilight… oh my stars, you boys weren't lying…"

"Ms. Sparkle," one of the unicorn guards barked, and Twilight tore her gaze away from Rarity to look at him. "I'm going to have to ask you to come with us."

Twilight hesitated. Rarity attempted to move closer to her, but the pegasus guards flared their wings and prevented her from moving. "No, please!" Rarity tried to find a way around them, but they held fast. "Please, you don't understand! Twilight!" she called, her eyes wide and frightened.

"Twilight Sparkle, you have been summoned by Her Highness, Princess Luna. I'm going to have to ask you to follow us," the other unicorn guard announced.

Twilight took an uncertain step forward. The four guards surveyed her with a hard expression. At the side of the room, Jazz Hooves stood frozen, uncertain on what he should be doing. Rarity had started sobbing, and Sweetie Belle finally stood up. The pegasus guards allowed Sweetie through to comfort her sister, but Rarity was still trying to get to Twilight.

"Twilight!" Rarity cried. "TWILIGHT!"

Twilight turned, but the unicorn guards were quick to block her movement and keep her moving forward.

"Let me through! Please, please don't leave me!" Rarity begged.

"Rarity, I'll come back!" Twilight yelled as she was being ushered out the door. "I promise!"

The door slammed shut behind her, and tears were pricking at Twilight's eyes as well. She stared at the two unicorn guards for further instructions. The guards didn't say anything, but walked in silence out of the apartment complex. Twilight had no choice but to follow them as they headed back to the castle.

…

This chapter took me a while because I had to completely re-write the part with Jazz Hooves… in the first draft he seemed really creepy and it seemed like a stupid idea for Twilight to go with him by herself. Hopefully I've fixed that…

And before anyone asks, no, Sweetie's song was not meant to insinuate a shipping or anything. Her special talent is writing love songs, and Twilight's disappearance was an inspiration for writing one about death. It wasn't about Twilight directly.

So, yes! Read and review? I'm in the middle of exams again, but once those are over I can hopefully update more often. Thanks!


	8. Of Moonlight and Moonstones

Thank you to Wing Zero 032, walkingdeath12, Starsights, Communist, mooneyboys, starmaker12, andrewsteele9465, Northgalus2002, Bloody7851, elitsama, AL3X TH3 H3DG3HOG, TheRand0mWo1f, SilenceofShadows, frostfang101, Update (LOL), devin43a, and Iffritman56 for their reviews!

I apologize for the break between updates. I literally finished exams, moved home the next day, went for two interviews day after that, got hired day after that… and then started the next day. So, yeah, talk about one thing after another! So now I work full time at a computer all day, which is dull but I couldn't be happier that I got this position.

To make up for it, you guys get an extra-long chapter. I've also revamped the middle section of the first chapter, so that might be worth another look (though it's not necessary).

Onward!

**…**

The castle's interior was unchanged. The same grand tapestries hung on the walls, elaborate carpets covered the marble floors, and guards were posted at every corner. As Twilight was led up the stairs into the royal chambers where she would usually expect to find Princess Celestia, she noted that the stained glass windows that depicted her and her friends defeating countless foes still stood strong. Twilight had been hoping that these historical windows would tell tales of the decade she had missed, but she was left disappointed; there were no new additions to the collection.

Luna was waiting for her at the end of the hallway, her gaze set at an unreadable neutral. The unicorn guards leading Twilight sunk to the floor in a show of respect before taking their leave. Twilight took a hesitant step forward. "Princess Luna…" Twilight wasn't sure what she had expected, but she was still a bit shaky from the less-than-warm welcome.

Finally, Luna gave a heavy sigh. "I was afraid this would happen…" Her tone was bitter. She bowed her head.

"What do you...?" Twilight trailed off as Luna looked back up. Her midnight blue eyes were heavy, defeated. Twilight proceeded with a bit more caution. "P-Princess?"

"I feared you would return, Twilight," Luna said, her voice as strong as ever despite her weakened appearance. "Do you not wonder why everyone believes you dead?"

It was something Twilight had wondered since she'd first came across Applejack. "Why couldn't I go back?" Twilight asked, her voice faltering as she realized where this conversation was heading.

"We tried to protect the time spells, Twilight," Luna explained, her expression hard-set. "Believe me, I did everything in my power… but even a monarch's power has weaknesses. When you vanished, word travelled quickly. Bearer of the element of magic herself, future princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle… defeated in an attempt at doing the talent she was put in the world to do."

Twilight winced. "I wasn't, though!"

Luna nodded. "Celestia believed in you, but she didn't think your powers would ever allow you to travel further than a few weeks. Still, she gave you a year… when you didn't return, she was forced to destroy all of the time spells in the archives to quell legality issues as well as our citizens' outrage." Luna's furrowed brow kept focused on Twilight. "You cannot return, Twilight. If you could, we would already know it. Nopony knows the time spells anymore… I'm sorry."

Twilight nodded shakily.

She would never return home.

Twilight already knew that, of course, but hearing it spoken aloud was a hard blow. It was if Luna's authoritative tone had physically trapped her in this strange, unfriendly new world. Twilight sunk to her haunches, feeling dizzy. "…I… E-excuse me…"

"Take your time, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight nodded gratefully. This was it, then. She knew what she had to do. "I need to help my friends."

"A noble, though near impossible goal."

Twilight frowned. "Where's Princess Celestia?"

Luna looked away, her gaze landing on a clear window. "…Vacationing."

"…Come again?"

Luna's head turned, her expression suddenly enraged. Twilight flinched as if the fire in Luna's expression had physically burned her. "Do you not understand exactly what you've done, Twilight?"

Twilight took a step backward. "I-I - "

"You were meant to be her successor!" Luna yelled, her scolding sending shivers down Twilight's spine. "One thousand years without a retirement… because of me, of course…" Twilight's ears flattened, intimidated by the larger and much more powerful alicorn. Luna paused and inhaled deeply. "Forgive me. You have been punished enough…"

Twilight shook her head and stared at the ground. "I deserved that."

"Twilight…" The apology was in Luna's tone. Twilight appreciated it, but knew that Luna was right. She had already seen the crumbled remnants of Applejack, the shallow closed-off life of Fluttershy, the broken innocence of Sweetie Belle. Celestia must had been devastated.

But Twilight was here now.

"This is my fault." Twilight looked into the eyes of Luna, a fierce resolve in the younger unicorn's gaze. "I'm going to fix it. If it takes everything I have... then that's what will happen."

Luna surveyed Twilight with interest. "I see. I will send notice to my sister."

Relief flooded through Twilight. Finally, she would get to speak to Princess Celestia. "Should I wait here? Or at least nearby?"

Luna finally cracked a smile. "Give her time, Twilight Sparkle. She will find you, so do not hesitate to do what you must do to help your friends."

Twilight nodded. "Thank you. I have one more question, though…"

"Anything, Twilight."

"Where's Spike?"

Luna hesitated. "I… do not know."

Twilight closed her eyes. She had been terrified to hear those words, but had been half-expecting them.

Spike…

Her number one assistant. Twilight had no idea what she would do without him. Likewise, Twilight served as an older mentor and a caregiver. They relied on each other for so much…

"But," Luna continued. Twilight's eyes snapped open. "I think there may be somepony nearby better suited to answering that question than me." Luna gestured to the doorway. "Please, Twilight. Don't let me keep you any longer. Go find your friends."

Twilight's eyes widened: Rarity. Possibly the only other pony Spike would trust completely, and Rarity would never turn him away. Twilight nodded. "I will… thank you."

"Good… good luck, Twilight Sparkle."

…

Twilight exited the royal chamber and descended down the stairs. At the bottom, flanked by two pegasus guards, was Sweetie Belle. She had heavy bags under her eyes, and her mane was no longer perfectly curled as it had been in the evening, but she still managed a big smile when she caught sight of Twilight. "Finally…" Sweetie approached Twilight cautiously. "How did it go?"

Twilight shook her head. "Not well." She stared at the ground. "Nothing's really gone well…" She felt a foreleg wrap around her neck, and turned to stare into Sweetie's green eyes.

"I'm sorry Twilight, really, I can't even imagine…"

Twilight sighed. "I'm glad you're here and everything, Sweetie, but why exactly…?"

Sweetie Belle blinked a few times. "Oh, right." She giggled and backed off. "Sorry. Rarity wanted me to meet you here to take you over. Knowing how her house looked when I left, she's probably cleaning."

Twilight managed a smile. "Thank you, Sweetie Belle. And thank you for last night too… I'm so sorry about this morning."

Sweetie Belle waved her off. "Don't worry about it. We don't work for another, like…" Sweetie paused and scrunched up her face in concentration. "Uh, ten days? …Not until next Wednesday. We only get four nights every two weeks. So it's whatever. Rarity wakes me up early all the time, so don't feel bad. Anyways, follow me!"

Sweetie led Twilight off of the royal property and back onto the large main street Twilight was on when she had first teleported. "It's a bit of a walk. Sorry."

"That's fine." Twilight thought back to what Luna had told her, and felt determined to use this time to her advantage. "So you and Rarity are still close, right?"

"Eh, yeaaah," Sweetie Belle said, her tone wavering. "I mean, we don't see eye to eye, but when have we _ever _seen eye to eye?" She giggled. "We're sisters, even if she is a rich entrepreneur and I'm a stupid bar singer…" Her ears flattened to her head.

"About that – the Carousel Boutique seems to be doing really well."

Sweetie Belle groaned. "You have no idea. Ask Rarity about it and she'll chew your ear off."

"I have a lot of things to ask Rarity, it seems."

Sweetie Belle was quiet for a few moments, then she turned to look at Twilight with such a serious expression that Twilight stopped walking out of concern. Sweetie Belle moved closer. "Twilight…" she whispered. "Listen to me… you need to be careful with her, okay?"

"With Rarity?" Twilight surveyed Sweetie Belle with a mix of curiousity and worry. "Why do you say that?"

Sweetie bit her lip. "You really scared her, Twilight. She went crazy. A month after you died, she boarded up her shop and moved to Canterlot. A year and something after that, she was married, and a couple of months later? Pregnant. She was my age now!" Sweetie exclaimed, her eyes wide. "And now she has two kids and marital issues and she's busier than ever with work…" Sweetie shook her head. "Sometimes I'm glad I'm not her."

Twilight directed a pained look at the ground. "So fast…" she murmured, more to herself that to Sweetie Belle. Rarity was, in Twilight's opinion, the most mature of the six of them. It shouldn't have been a surprise that Rarity had taken such huge strides in the years that Twilight had been absent. Twilight still had to adjust.

"I just don't want to see her like that again," Sweetie Belle continued, "especially now that she has a family to look after."

"I understand." Sweetie Belle gave Twilight a grateful smile. "…But Sweetie Belle? I have something else to ask you about," Twilight said, keeping her tone casual.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "Uh huh, go ahead?"

"It's about Apple Bloom and Scootaloo."

Sweetie's smile faltered. "Oh, uh…" Sweetie Belle cleared her throat and then hesitated for a few moments. "Scoots is doing great. She lives in Cloudsdale so I can't visit, but sometimes she comes over here…" Sweetie Bell frowned. "Sorry, I just didn't expect you to ask about them, I guess…"

"Oh, I'm sorry if I - "

"Anyways, we're here!" Sweetie Belle smiled widely and gestured in front of her. Twilights train of thought was immediately lost as her vision landed on a jewel-encrusted security gate. The bars looked to be plated in actual gold.

Twilight laughed. Only Rarity would take the appearance of her security system into heavy consideration. Beyond the bars was a very modern-looking home. It was built on the edge of the Canterlot cliffs, facing toward what was once Ponyville. Twilight knew for a fact that real estate like this would only sell for an incredible amount of money.

The home itself was modestly-sized, though the architecture was truly breathtaking. The house was built on a slight angle, which allowed large water fountains to flow water thinly across a glass roof and over the side of the cliff, which created a huge rainbow effect. There didn't seem to be any actual windows on the house, rather entire panels of one-way glass replaced large sections of the wall. The remainder of the house was pure-white. Twilight wondered how they were able to keep such a colour looking so clean.

"…Wow." Twilight finally said, her mouth slightly agape.

"I know right. Check this out." Sweetie Belle closed one eye and focused the other into a small dot of glass. A drawn out beep was shortly followed by a click, and the door swung open.

Twilight looked back and forth between Sweetie Belle and the gate. "Uh… what just happened?"

"Eye-recognition software. It's state of the art technology…" Sweetie Belle giggled. "Gee, you should see the look on your face, Twilight!"

Twilight blinked, a bit stunned. "I… I guess I'm a bit behind on the times…"

"I know, I know, I shouldn't laugh…" Sweetie Belle continued to grin regardless. "Well, come on, follow me!"

Sweetie Belle led Twilight right up to the front of the house and didn't bother knocking before she opened the door. "Rarity! Guess who's here!"

Twilight didn't have to wait for more than a few seconds before she was engulfed in pair of white forelegs. "Oh, darling, you don't know how shocked I was this morning – honestly, you should have come straight here! Of course, oh you must have been so lost, you poor thing…"

Twilight closed her eyes and hugged Rarity tighter. "I… I'm so sorry…"

"No need to apologize!" Rarity separated and held Twilight apart from her, and the two old friends took the moment to look each other over.

Rarity's mane was pulled back into a loose violet updo. She'd gone heavy on the makeup, with multiple shades of blue eyeshadow creating a smoky effect, and her eyeliner going a bit off of her eyes in a traditional Canterlot effect.

She'd definitely cleaned herself up since morning. "You look really good," Twilight said honestly. For having two kids, she'd still managed to maintain her shape, and her coat was as glossy as ever.

Rarity smiled at the compliment, but waved a hoof dismissively in the air. "Oh, pish posh, you youthful thing, you!" Rarity gushed. "What I wouldn't give to be ten years younger!" Rarity turned and started walking out of the room. "Come here, Twilight. I've prepared lunch for us!"

Twilight followed Rarity into the kitchen, a bright room due to the large sections of glass, adorned with spotless marble countertops and filled with appliances that Twilight could only assume were modern and could definitely guess were expensive. A long kitchen table at the end of the room was absolutely covered in quarter sandwiches. "Oh my gosh…" Twilight stared at the amount of food in disbelief. "You didn't make all of these, did you?!"

Rarity laughed heartily. "Oh Twilight, darling, you flatter me!" She walked over to the table and magically floated a plate over to Twilight, who accepted it carefully as the gold trim along the edges suggested it was very valuable. "As a matter of fact," Rarity said as she floated a plate over to herself. "I picked these up from the store this morning. I was hoping to save time so that I could clean a bit before I went to fetch you, but I ran into Rosaline on my way there, oh and she's a very lovely client of mine, and we got talking about the dress I made for her birthday last month. And once I managed to step in to the bakery, wouldn't you know I ran right into Lemony Gem! Her daughter is in the same class as Jasper, so of course I had to chat a bit with her, oh and then the order was delayed and well… point is I sent Sweetie Belle instead, but it all worked out just the same!"

"Jasper…" Twilight mused. Rarity frowned, but Twilight was busy wracking her memory. "He's… he's your son, right? Blue Jasper?" The little colt from Fluttershy's picture flashed through Twilight's memory.

"Y-yes! Of course, Sweetie Belle must have told you…" Rarity forced a laugh and gestured to the sandwiches. "I'll be sure to introduce you. He must have poor Sweetie Belle occupied at the moment."

"You have a daughter as well, right?"

Rarity's eyes widened and for a moment Twilight feared she had said the wrong thing. Rarity's mouth bent upward in an attempt at a smile. "Oh, yes, little Moonstone… still a toddler…" She eyed Twilight. "I suppose Sweetie Belle told you that as well."

"O-oh, no, actually - "

"I know she loves my children to death, but that really gives her no right to talk about my personal life," Rarity huffed, her eyes narrowed. "_Especially _given the way her own life is shaping out - "

"It was Fluttershy," Twilight interrupted desperately, confused by Rarity's distress but intent on stopping it anyway. "I visited Fluttershy and she had a picture of your son on her bureau. Sweetie Belle didn't say anything to me."

Rarity froze. "Oh… oh, of course, I'm so sorry, Twilight." She stared off into space for a few moments. "I haven't seen Fluttershy in ages. We used to write each other, but she can't receive normal mail and it's expensive to send, so we've drifted apart…"

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but the shrill sound of crying foal ripped through the house. Twilight winced and flattened her ears to her head.

Rarity sighed and stood. "Well, speak of the devil… she was up all night, so she's probably still cranky. I'll see if I can't settle her. Help yourself to the sandwiches."

Twilight watched Rarity start to walk out of the kitchen, but a familiar singing voice stopped her in her tracks.

"_Walk me through fields where rare orchids grow,"_

It was a slow, hauntingly beautiful melody. Twilight smiled as the foal's crying died down almost instantly. "Your sister's really talented," Twilight commented.

"_And your wings will lift you in time,"_

Rarity nodded mechanically. "Yes… yes, she certainly is."

"_Experience tells you which way to go,"_

Rarity walked back over to Twilight, but her gaze was set elsewhere and her mouth turned downward. "Is everything all right?" Twilight asked carefully.

"_You'll always be a filly of mine,"_

Rarity nodded again. "Sweetie Belle hasn't sung this lullaby in ages. She wrote it herself when Moonstone was born…"

"_Your beauty will be of such high demand,"_

Rarity's eyes filled with tears. "I… I think she wrote it more for me than for my daughter…"

"_And your wings will lift you in time,"_

Wait.

"Rarity?" Twilight questioned. Rarity did not look up. "Is your daughter a pegasus?"

"_Though you'll plant the seeds from faraway lands,"_

Rarity's brow furrowed at the table. "Yes… my great-grandfather was a pegasus, actually…"

It was unusual, but not impossible for two unicorns to produce a pegasus offspring, given they both carried recessive genes. In Canterlot where the demographics were almost one-hundred percent unicorns, however, it was nearly unheard of.

"_You'll always be a filly of mine,"_

Sweetie Belle's voice echoed around the home. Tears dropped from Rarity's eyes and landed on the golden plate beneath her. Twilight took a deep breath. "I thought your husband was a unicorn?" It was a genuine question, but Rarity winced as if she had been attacked.

"_I'll guide you through hardships, anguish and pain,"_

"He is," Rarity stated. Her gaze turned icy. "I suppose Fluttershy told you that as well."

"_And your wings will lift you in time,"_

"That's right," Twilight said.

Rarity sighed. "I… I can't blame her… she…"

"_You'll fly me through clouds, above all the rain,"_

"Oh Sweetie Belle, why this song…" Tears continued to pour down Rarity's face, and she finally stood. "Give me a moment." She left the room, leaving a confused and hurt Twilight.

"_You'll always be a filly of mine… _R-Rarity? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I-I…"

"Let me see my daughter, Sweetie Belle." Rarity's voice was hollow from tears, but firm at the same time.

Twilight stared at the mountain of sandwiches in front of her, willing her mind not to jump to conclusions. Sweetie Belle _had _mentioned that Rarity was having marital problems.

Twilight just hadn't expected it to be over something like _this._

"Excuse me?" A young voice piped, abruptly breaking Twilight out of her thoughts and causing her to jump. Twilight turned toward the voice, and found a small, white unicorn colt staring at her with huge, blue eyes. Rarity's eyes. "Auntie Sweetie Belle said I could have a sandwich…"

Twilight stared back at him, entranced. "You must be Blue Jasper," Twilight noted. His mane was the same light-blue as Fancypants', but other than that, he had inherited Rarity's features. He was still without a cutie mark, but Twilight estimated him at an even younger age than she remembered Sweetie Belle, so it was to be expected. Twilight was meeting the son of one of her closest friends. It was a surreal moment, and she wished she could have shared it with Rarity.

"Yes, that's me." He puffed out his chest and stuck his tiny square muzzle into the air. "But you can just call me Jasper." His accent was different from Rarity's, but was typical of those native to Canterlot.

A smile slowly spread across Twilight's face. He looked absolutely adorable, which Twilight was certain wasn't the effect he was going for, making him even cuter. "Okay, Jasper, then." The two stared at each other, and Twilight was getting the feeling she was missing something. "Uh, can I help you with something?"

"Yes… I'd like a sandwich." He pointed at the table. "Please. It doesn't matter what type; Auntie Sweetie said I'd like all of them."

Twilight looked between him and the plate of sandwiches, not quite understanding why he couldn't get one himself, but also realizing that she shouldn't expect any less from a child of Rarity's. She levitated a sandwich into midair, then grinned as an idea came to her. With a flash of magenta, she removed the crusts, levitated it onto a golden plate, and descended it toward a wide-eyed unicorn colt.

His composure was momentarily forgotten as he gave Twilight an amazed grin and hopped up to sit at the table. "How did you know I don't like the crusts?"

Twilight chuckled and put the plate in front of him. "I happen to know a certain fashion-designer who doesn't like them either."

"Thanks Miss Twilight!" Jasper tucked into his meal, and Twilight levitated a sandwich for herself as well. The first bite was enough to tell Twilight it was daisy and daffodil. Rarity still remembered it was her favourite…

Twilight's ears flattened. All was silent in the other room. Twilight ate slowly, silently. Jasper was finished long before she was.

"Miss Twilight?" Twilight looked over at Jasper, and struggled to manage a small smile. "You look sad."

Leave it to a child to point out exactly what you hoped they wouldn't. "I-I… I'm not sad, Jasper, I'm just…" _Lost. Confused. Frightened. _"Jasper, can I ask you a question?"

"Uh huh!" He nodded eagerly.

"How do you know my name? I don't think I introduced myself, did I?"

Jasper shook his head. "No, but I know you 'cause Mummy talks about you a lot. She always points at your picture and says that I need to remember that magic should be used with caution." He rolled his eyes. "I can't use magic yet anyways." He stood and trotted to the left, where the kitchen connected to a sitting area. "Do you want to see?"

"Okay." Twilight stood and followed the colt into a small room filled with plush furniture, a round central table, and mountains of photographs. Some of the pictures on the walls were actually paintings of abstract scenes that Twilight was sure Rarity could appreciate more than she did. Other, smaller photos depicted ponies. Twilight walked over to a small collection. There was an outdoor wedding photograph of Rarity and Fancypants, with Rarity dressed in an absolutely beautiful flowing white dress, and her hair decorated with flowers and a long wedding veil. The two of them laughed for the camera, and Twilight smiled sadly, filled with fresh regret at having missed seeing this moment for real.

Above it was a picture of Rarity's parents, Sweetie Belle, and a few ponies Twilight didn't know but could guess were from Fancypants' side of the family. Beneath them were two baby pictures. The one on the left Twilight recognized as an infant Blue Jasper, and the one on the right…

Rarity's daughter: there she was. A baby pegasus stared intently at the camera, showing off bright green eyes. They were much brighter than Sweetie Belle's paler green eyes, and Twilight likened them more to Applejack's. Her coat and tiny feathers were a very pale shade of blue, and a small sprig of deep purple hair – Rarity's hair - was tied with a bow at the top of her head.

She didn't look like the offspring of two white-coated, blue-eyed unicorns…

"Miss Twilight!" Jasper called. Twilight broke away from the photograph and walked over to him. He was pointing at a small table tucked into the corner of the room. "Here you are, see?"

Twilight's eyes fell onto a photograph of her and Spike in front of the library. Twilight recognized the picture immediately because she was used to passing it every morning when she went downstairs. This photograph belonged to Spike; he had a small table in the library where he kept a collection of photographs, and this was the one he had in the center. How did it end up here…?

Twilight looked away and curiously looked over the other photographs. The picture of the six of them that Fluttershy also had on her bureau was present. In fact, the entire table seemed to be a small dedication to the six of them.

There were two photographs that Twilight did not recognize. The first was a picture of Rarity lying in a hospital bed and smiling down at a bundled foal. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were hovering on either side of her, grinning ecstatically at the new arrival.

The second photo looked as though it had been taken inside somepony's home. Applejack and Pinkie Pie sat next to each other on a couch. In Applejack's forelegs rested a swaddled foal. Twilight could tell more clearly in this picture that his coat was white and his mane was blue. Applejack looked much healthier than Twilight remembered her, though the bags under her eyes gave sign that things were not perfect. Pinkie Pie was holding Jasper's attention by sticking out her tongue and bulging her eyes.

There was somepony missing… Twilight closed her eyes and sighed. She felt as if she had missed Rarity's entire life. Her marriage, her booming career, the births of her children… What was left?

Twilight shook her head. She remembered her conversation with Princess Luna; she was here now. There was still time. "Jasper?" Twilight asked, and the foal turned his head curiously. "Would you like another sandwich?"

Jasper perked up. "I can have two?!"

Twilight smiled. "I said it was okay if anypony asks."

"Can you do the thing with the crusts again?" He asked, practically bouncing in excitement toward the kitchen. Twilight responded by levitating a sandwich and performing the requested spell. Jasper beamed at her. "Thank you, Miss Twilight!"

Twilight turned away. "I… I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay!"

Twilight left the room, this time heading in the same direction that Rarity had gone. She turned down a long hallway that held several doors. One of the doors was slightly ajar.

Twilight pushed it open, and two pairs of eyes latched onto her. Rarity was sitting at the end of the room in a rocking chair, cuddling a foal. She looked at Twilight for a moment, then averted her gaze back to her daughter. Sweetie Belle was standing at the other side of the room, her eyes shifting between Rarity and Twilight. Sweetie paused for a moment, gave a small nod at Rarity, then walked past Twilight and out of the room.

Twilight stepped forward. Rarity didn't look up. "Rarity?" Twilight whispered.

Rarity sniffed. "Oh Twilight, what must you think of me…" She pulled her baby closer, holding her up to her shoulder so that their faces could touch.

Twilight moved closer and smiled. Rarity stared up at her with tearful eyes, lowering baby Moonstone into her lap. Twilight reached to the bundle, her hoof very gently touching Moonstone's face. She looked down at Rarity, trying to gauge for any sort of resistance. She saw nothing. "Can… can I hold her?" Twilight asked, practically pleaded. They both needed this. Twilight knew they did.

Rarity's face changed from somber to surprised. "You… you want to hold her?"

Twilight nodded and reached out. Rarity shifted, carefully maneuvering the little pony into Twilight's waiting grasp. The toddler squirmed slightly, and though she was far from a newborn, she was a pegasus foal and was built lightly. Twilight had no problem lifting her. Twilight looked into the filly's eyes, her own starting to tear up. "H-hi, sweetheart. I'm… I'm your Aunt Twilight, and I know I haven't been around, but…" She stole a look at Rarity, who had tears running down her face. "But I'm here now, and I want to make sure that everything's going to be okay for you. I want to be here for your mommy. I want to be here for my friends… no matter what the circumstances, I know we'll figure it out. It'll be okay, Moonstone, I promise."

Twilight felt Rarity wrap a hug around both of them, and for several precious moments, neither of them moved. Little Moonstone snuggled closer to Twilight, who rubbed her back gently in response and leaned her head to rest against Rarity's.

She could only hope that the words she spoke were the truth.

**…**

The lullaby that Sweetie Belle sang is a modified version of "Scarborough Fair", and is designed to be sung to the same tune. I wanted to have her sing Scarborough Fair itself, but it had no bearing on the plot so I changed the words.

Read and review and I'll love you forever. Also here is where I shamelessly advertise that I also run a ytube channel under the name "TangyNeonz" where I post PMVs and piano arrangements. Check it out!


	9. Irreversible Growth

Thank you for Pikachu913, starmaker12, Guest, RandomHamster33, Wing Zero 032, AL3X TH3 H3DG3HOG, mooneyboys, Deluxe Magnum69, EriReverie, Adam, Guest, Alex Barkhorn, Cat, Natureboy3, Cat, guitarrawr1, and Alex Leep for reviews.

I can't believe it's been so long since my last update! In my defense, I _have _published a side-story for this fic. It's called "Oh Baby!" (or "Ignoramus Indeed" on FIMFiction… names are different because FIMFiction requires two titles), and you can find it by clicking my profile above! I would recommend reading it either before or after this chapter, but it is not required. It's basically the story of Blue Jasper's birth, so if you don't like that kinda thing I'd skip it. It's much more lighthearted than this fic, so it's a nice break.

Thanks!

…

Twilight stared into the cup of tea that Rarity had made her. The silver spoon in it spun slowly and precisely under her magical control. Jasper's laughter echoed from the next room over, where Sweetie Belle was looking after him. Rarity had settled herself on a red, plush couch, and Twilight sat across from her in a matching armchair. Both ponies were intently focused on the white mug sitting in their forehooves. Moonstone was sprawled across the floor, her attention being held by the stuffed animals that lay strewn across a large, intricate rug. Somewhere in another room, a clock was counting the painful seconds as they passed.

_Tick… tick… tick…_

The tea was very sweet, almost to the point of excess. Fluttershy loved sweet tea, and since it was Fluttershy who really enjoyed having others over for tea, all six of them had become accustomed to it. Twilight wondered whether Rarity had done it on purpose, or gotten her and Fluttershy mixed up…

_Tick… tick… tick…_

To be fair, it had been Rarity who had initiated the silence. Twilight simply wasn't brave enough to break it; she had so many questions that she was terrified to ask. Rarity's relationship with her other friends. Moonstone's father. _Spike._

Most of all, she feared talking about Spike. She'd thought for certain Celestia would have taken him in, but if Luna didn't know where he was…

"Mummy!" Moonstone held up a plush cat and smiled widely, her bright green eyes shining with childish glee. Twilight was grateful for the noise, and watched the toddler as she tried to gain her mother's attention. "Look!"

Rarity looked down with a small frown.

Moonstone waved the toy a bit more enthusiastically at the lack of response. "Mummy! Mummy!"

"Shh, darling…" Rarity smiled a little and scooped Moonstone off of the ground and sat her on the couch. "We have a guest."

Moonstone squirmed out of her mother's grasp and leapt off of the couch. Her tiny wings fluttered instinctively, but they didn't affect her altitude. She landed on the ground and giggled in delight.

Twilight smiled down at the filly. "How old is she, Rarity?"

"Her second birthday was just last week." Rarity laughed quietly as Moonstone trotted back up to the couch and tried to scramble her way back to the top by placing her forehooves as high as they would go and alternating legs to kick with. "Jasper's was about four weeks ago. He's seven years old." Rarity relented and helped Moonstone back onto the couch. The foal did a 180 and jumped, squealing in delight as she touched down on the ground again.

Twilight nodded slowly. Foals were naturally born during the months of April through to June as mares typically went into season once summer started to hit, but modern magic could be used to provide fertility at any time of the year. Any mare trying to have a foal no longer had to wait in order to come into season – statistically speaking, most foals born during the traditional months were either unplanned or born to couples without access to unicorn magic. Within Canterlot, where magic was universal and highly obtainable, it was considered fashionable to have a baby smack in the middle of winter. Even Shining Armour had a noble birthdate early on in January – there was an unavoidable stigma that came with having a baby during the proper season.

Twilight would know, since she was born mid-May and was teased mercilessly in school. Shutting herself away to prove she belonged in the world as much as anypony else was an understandable response.

"It's April the twenty-seventh, right?" Twilight asked, only partially for confirmation. She had an idea of how to start getting answers without directly asking questions.

Rarity paused and put a hoof to her mouth. "Er… I believe so… " She levitated a pair of purple-rimmed glasses to her eyes, stood, and started peering around the room. "Calendar, calendar…"

"Never mind, Rarity." Twilight knew for a fact that she left on the twenty-fifth, and assuming that the spell had transferred her precisely ten years into the future and two days had passed, Twilight was certain that they were sitting on the twenty-seventh. "I was just wondering because Jasper would have been born a little early, right?"

Rarity fiddled with her glasses, but did not remove them. "Oh… right, he… he, well, actually – "

"Mummyyyy!" Moonstone cooed, her tiny wings buzzing as she tried to jump back onto the couch. "Mummmmyyyy!"

"Oh, Moonstone…" Rarity sighed and picked the toddler up. Moonstone fought to leave Rarity's grasp and tried to jump again, but Rarity held fast. "I think you've had enough flying practice for one day, haven't you? Mummy isn't ready for you to start flying, that's for certain…" Rarity chuckled and turned to Twilight as Moonstone became distracted by the plush cat she had previously abandoned and settled down with it. "I can't believe she's two already. How the time flies!"

Twilight managed a small smile. "You're telling me…"

Rarity laughed. "Oh, you're absolutely right Twilight, I'm sorry. Is your tea all right?"

"It's fine, Rarity, thank you." Twilight focused her attention back onto twirling her spoon. Perhaps the subject she was trying to guide Rarity onto was touchier than she'd first thought. She knew that she was going to have to be more direct, but Sweetie Belle's warnings about being delicate were replaying in her head. She bit her lip, and decided to pursue. "It's a bit surprising, you know? Seeing you with foals."

Rarity laughed softly. "Oh Twilight, nopony was more surprised than I was."

Twilight was so taken aback by the ease of the answer that she took a few seconds to come up with a reply. "Um… really?"

"Oh, yes…" Rarity smiled and started fiddling with the bow that held Moonstone's mane. The foal didn't even seem to notice. "Jasper was born at the end of March, so… yes, a… a little early, as you put it. They estimated him to be due in mid-April, as that would have been a more logical assumption, but despite that he was of normal birth weight…" She paused in doing Moonstone's mane, and put a hoof to her mouth thoughtfully. "I suppose I came into season early and didn't realize. It would have been during our honeymoon – very sunny, that would explain it, yes?"

"I guess so, yeah…"

Rarity smiled a little, her eyes staring away from Twilight and down at her daughter. "I had no symptoms with Jasper. An odd craving for strawberries – and I'm sure you remember how I hate the things, Twilight – but otherwise I simply couldn't understand why I was putting on so much weight. I didn't find out until I was about halfway through the pregnancy."

"Wow…" Twilight said. "I guess when you're that far along… well, your options are…"

"Exactly." Rarity sighed and finished playing with Moonstone's mane. The filly turned her head at the sudden lack of attention with an innocently confused frown. "I was so young Twilight, and I had my whole career ahead of me. Fancy really wanted the baby – he was older than I, and he had no foals from his previous marriage. I felt trapped, but at the same time… it just felt like the right thing to do, do you understand?"

"Of course – Rarity, I'm not going to judge you for anything I was absent for. You know that, don't you?" Twilight smiled. "I'm just curious, that's all."

Rarity smiled sadly back. "I know that, Twilight. I can't even imagine what you're going through right now. I want to help in any way I can."

Twilight grinned – that was exactly what she wanted to hear. She shifted her vision away from Rarity, and toward the small table that Jasper had shown her earlier. She concentrated her telekinesis on one of the photos, and levitated it over to Rarity, who despite looking a little surprised, accepted it into her own magical grasp. The photo Twilight had chosen pictured Rarity, mane rather disgruntled and eyes half-lidded, smiling down at newborn Blue Jasper from her hospital bed. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash watched gleefully from either side.

Rarity adjusted her glasses and squinted at the image. "This…" She looked up at Twilight, seeming a bit confused. "Well, I suppose that collection of photographs _would _have caught your attention."

"Jasper showed them to me, actually."

"Ah…" Rarity laughed a little and looked back at the photograph. "That doesn't surprise me. The only things he can associate you with are these pictures and warnings about using magic…" She gave an over-zealous sigh. "I suppose I'm going to have to redo that particular lecture, now aren't I?"

Twilight laughed. "Sorry, Rarity. In all fairness, you'd just have to omit the part that I died. I still messed up the spell and… and a lot of other things, too."

Rarity shook her head. "Don't say things like that. Now, this picture…" She paused for a few moments, as if debating whether or not to continue. She looked over at Twilight, then back at the photograph. "This was literally about an hour after I'd given birth. I look like a mess, don't I?"

"Really?" Twilight asked, genuinely surprised, because that would mean… "So, wait, were Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy there when you… uh, had him?"

Rarity hesitated, but then looked over at Twilight again and smiled at her bemused expression. "It was Rainbow's fault I went into labour in the first place."

"What?" Twilight grinned despite herself. "How did she manage that?"

Rarity waved a hoof dismissively. "Oh, an argument over trivial things that ended with my water breaking. I really should have known something like that would have happened when I invited her. Er, it's Rainbow, you know. Very brash."

"Oh, yeah." Twilight laughed. "I bet she didn't handle that very well."

Rarity laughed along. "She fainted in the delivery room."

"Oh my gosh, you're kidding!"

"I'm serious!" The two ponies laughed together, and little Moonstone smiled curiously at the two adults. "Oh, Twilight, it really is quite a good story, albeit a bit long. I'll make sure to tell you it in full later."

"Okay!" Twilight grinned, but then refocused herself. "Do you and Rainbow still keep in touch?"

Rarity's expression fell and her ears flattened. Twilight opened her mouth to backtrack, but Rarity cut her off. "I knew you were going to ask that… I…" She shook her head. "No. No, you deserve to know everything that's happened, Twilight."

Twilight wished she was in a position to politely disagree to spare Rarity any pain. The necessity for more information over-road her feelings. "I hate to ask this, Rarity, but can you start from the beginning?"

"Of course… do you know much already?"

Twilight shook her head. "I know you left Ponyville at some point." She paused for a moment; it was now or never. "And I know that you took Spike with you."

Rarity closed her eyes and nodded. "Did Fluttershy tell you that?"

"No. I saw the picture on the mantle: I know it belonged to him."

Rarity stared over at the tiny table. "That's true. He brought that to Canterlot with him."

"Rarity?" The white unicorn finally turned her head to meet Twilight's gaze. Tears were already starting to fill her eyes. Twilight winced, but continued. "I need to thank you for taking Spike with you when I disappeared. I know he would have been really shaken, a-and I…" Twilight fought back tears and tried to continue. "I feel so, so guilty that I could have abandoned him… I was like his… his big sister slash boss slash closest friend slash… you know, I was like a surrogate mother to him. I was his only family." Twilight hung her head. "And I abandoned him. You have no idea how guilty I feel, Rarity, he – "

"Mummy!" Moonstone squeaked, displaying a tiny, almost accusing frown as she stared with wide eyes at her mother. "Why're you cwying?"

Rarity hastily wiped at her eyes and hugged her filly to her chest. "Why am I crying, darling? Oh, Mummy's not crying… um… why don't you go play with Auntie Sweetie Belle, hmm? Sweetie Belle!" she turned her head and hastily called. "Could you take Moonstone into the other room, please?"

Jasper groaned. "I don't want to play with her!"

Rarity's brow furrowed. "Blue Jasper, you mind yourself, lest you want to lose dessert tonight!"

"…Y-yes Mum! Nevermind, Mum!"

Hoofsteps sounded briefly, then Sweetie Belle poked her head around the door frame. Her ears flattened as she took note of the expressions worn by Rarity and Twilight. "Um… yeah, sure sis." She shook her head lightly as if to clear it, then beamed down at the tiny pegasus pony. "C'mon, Moo, let's go play with your brother!" Moonstone was quick to jump off of the couch and follow Sweetie, giggling ecstatically as she did so.

Rarity sighed. "Don't call her that. It makes her sound like a cow."

Sweetie Belle smiled and picked up Moonstone. "Aw, I think it's cute!"

"Better than "Louie"." Jasper added from the next room over.

Sweetie Belle smiled. "Well, I already have one Jazzy in my life, and Celestia knows I can't call you by your initials."

Rarity flushed red. "S-Sweetie Belle!"

Sweetie Belle turned tail, child in tow. "Just sayin'!"

"…I don't get it," said Jasper.

Rarity huffed and turned back to Twilight. "I'm so sorry about that, Twilight. Moonstone's becoming very perceptive; I really need to watch myself…"

Twilight nodded. "That's okay… it's a good thing you have Sweetie Belle around to keep an eye on them."

"Oh, you should know Twilight, I do pay her to babysit!" Rarity quickly explained. "She's had trouble finding work, and when Fancy is out of town she's an absolute life saver."

Twilight looked down and nodded again. "Can we get back to where we left off, please?"

Rarity nodded. "Yes, yes of course… er, where were we?"

"Spike," Twilight said, "what happened to Spike?"

Rarity stared at the floor. "He grew up, Twilight. Just like before… except no matter what I did, I couldn't stop it." She bit her lip, then exhaled and faced Twilight with a frown and apologetic eyes. "It was my fault, Twilight. I was aware of his feelings toward me, but you have to understand that I… I would never be able to return those feelings."

"He was upset over your marriage…" Twilight murmured, looking to Rarity for confirmation.

"Spike was gone before the marriage took place…" Rarity covered her face with both hooves and groaned softly. "Please forgive me… H-he was inconsolable. He felt as though he didn't belong here, and if I couldn't be the one to change that, I don't think anypony could." She lowered her left foreleg and looked over to Twilight. "Please, please forgive me… I-I…"

"Princess Celestia," Twilight interjected, causing Rarity to lower her other foreleg and raise a brow. "Princess Celestia would never let Spike leave like that! It's not right!"

Rarity shook her head. "I consulted her; she thought it was for the best. Even if he _was _able to reopen his heart and become something of an assistant to me or another pony, she felt it would be cruel to subject him to even more anguish when that pony, too, passed away." Rarity looked quizzically to Twilight. "Interesting, though, that she only thought of that after you passed a – er, time travelled. Perhaps it was unwise to give you his egg in the first place, though trust me I feel awful saying that because he was such a sweet little thing…"

Twilight gaped at Rarity for a few moments. Of course; dragons had exceptionally long lifespans. Twilight was to become an alicorn – as far as Twilight knew, an immortal being.

Just how long had Celestia been planning her destiny?!

"Do you know where he is?" Twilight asked.

Rarity hesitated, then slowly nodded. "He's with others of his own kind… according to Celestia, dragons live somewhere south of Equestria."

"You've never gone to see him?"

Rarity averted her gaze, and paused for several moments. Twilight stayed quiet, fearful of prompting her. Finally, with her eyes still set away from Twilight, Rarity continued. "I wish I didn't have to be the one to tell you this; I am so sorry. He… he isn't Spike anymore, Twilight. He's a monster."

The breath caught in Twilight's chest, and she was only able to whisper her involuntary reaction. "N-no…"

Dragons, when allowed to age at their proper speed, retained much of their ponylike intelligence, and their long lives made the eldest some of the wisest creatures known to ponies. Rapid growth was a defence mechanism related to stress and desperation. A last resort to save the body, at the cost of the mind…

"No! No, please, please not Spike!" Twilight cried. She trembled, feeling dizzy. Her mind was failing to comprehend what she was being told. "There… there must be a way to reverse it!" She had started shouting, and Rarity's ears flattened to her head. "Like last time! There has to be!"

Fresh tears ran down Rarity's face, and she couldn't seem to bring herself to move. "Twilight, these circumstances were much different than his first bought of childish greed. He was in a lot of pain."

Twilight suddenly stood, but another wave of dizziness found her sinking to the floor. "Spike… I-I…"

Rarity sat next to her, silent tears running down her face as she gently stroked her hoof along Twilight's back. "Twilight, I'm so, so sorry."

Twilight couldn't speak. Her stomach hurt. She was certain she was going to vomit.

The Spike she knew was dead. His childish innocence torn from him and his mind tortured until his body needed to warp itself to compensate…

"I didn't… I never thought…" She did this. Twilight did this herself. She killed her best friend, her assistant, her _son. _Twilight gritted her teeth as tears fell from her eyes to the floor below, and she let out an anguished cry:

"_Spike, I'm so sorry!"_

Rarity held Twilight close and held her as she curled into a ball and sobbed. Twilight felt like an idiot for believing she could fix everything. Spike was as good as dead, after all.

She would never see him. Never speak to him. Never tell him goodbye one last time or apologize for her rushed exit before she left for Canterlot. All she'd left him were hastily written instructions to keep her library clean. What a horrible last goodbye…

She was a failure.

…

A LOT of people have been asking about Spike, and why Twilight hasn't been more focused on finding him. I've thought about it a lot, and I think she sort of knew what was coming; she was avoiding the topic. At the same time, I don't believe she truly understood how much Spike really was to her until this point in the fic.

Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be out faster.


	10. Blame and Focus

Thank you to Ana121, Xenomorphaddicted2, RandomHamster33, Alex Leep, walkingdeath12, Pikachu913, vultraz168, Wing Zero 032, Starsights, TheElementHero, Guitarrawr1, Chase Andrews, Nightfury991, Cat, AL3X TH3 H3DG3HOG, Natureboy3, MasterBrattan, and BladeXFire for reviewing! (holy cow that's a lot of you guys… I love you all!)

…

To Rarity's credit, it was only after several minutes of Twilight ignoring her soothing hugs and repetitive apologies that she finally gave in and left Twilight to her mourning.

_Spike was dead._

Every time those words flashed through her mind, Twilight would shudder involuntarily and curl herself tighter into a ball on Rarity's carpet. Dried tears matted the fur underneath her eyes together.

_Spike was dead._

Technically, that wasn't true. Twilight understood that he was alive in some form, but any memories of her were likely to have been erased from his damaged mind. Dragons in a forced-aged state were highly dangerous and territorial creatures. Visiting him could prove lethal without adequate protection, and would waste even more of her time in this world.

Not that it mattered how much additional time she wasted. All of her attempts to piece her friends' shattered lives back together would be in vein, because there would always be one dragon-sized piece missing.

_Spike was dead._

"_DAMN IT!" _Twilight shrieked at the ceiling and reared. Her front hooves landed heavily onto the floor, and she very nearly stumbled. Her breaths came in short bouts through her nose, and she glared at the couch in front of her. Sparks flew involuntarily from her horn, her cataclysmic emotions nearly causing her to set the couch in front of her on fire. As soon as she realized this, she took a step back both physically and metaphorically.

She could not allow herself to bring her own anger out on the couch's owner. Twilight knew better than to listen to Rarity's pleas for forgiveness; she had not done anything wrong. In fact, she had been the only one who had tried to help Spike in what must had been the hardest time in his young life. Applejack and Fluttershy hadn't even mentioned him…

For the first time, Twilight doubted her friends. Did they honestly not know about this? Were they avoiding the topic to save her feelings? Hoping to pin the job onto somepony else?

Twilight sunk back to the carpet. It didn't matter anymore. She didn't care. There was no hope of salvaging what they had once had, and what reason would they have to remain friends with the pony who destroyed all of their lives with one careless, thoughtless, selfish mistake?

Twilight closed her eyes and hung her head. The spell had, at least, given her the answer she was looking for. _"I would have made a terrible princess…" _She spoke the words out loud, but her whispers were so soft that they blended in with the quiet room and were barely audible even to her own ears.

The message rang clear in her mind all the same.

_Ding ding ding dong!_

A pleasant melody played by bells echoed through the room. Twilight raised her head and glanced around in confusion, the oddity of the sounds enough to momentarily distract her.

A high pitched squeal came from the room over, and Twilight's ears twitched to follow the sound. "Rarity, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle cried. "The gate, oh my gosh, Rarity look at the - "

"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity said sternly, which quickly silenced her younger sister. "Go take the kids outside, please."

"Uh, a-alright! Wow, though, just… wow."

Twilight could hear hoofsteps approaching the room, and she watched as Rarity appeared in the doorway. "Twilight…" Rarity frowned. "I know you aren't at your best right now, but there's somepony here to see you."

Twilight looked away. "I… I dunno if I…" She sighed. "Well, who is it?"

"Twilight Sparkle?" The soft, motherly tone nearly caused Twilight to crick her neck as she spun her head around. Princess Celestia herself walked past Rarity and stared at the other side of the room in disbelief. She still had the same long, pastel flowing mane and the same necklace and golden shoes, but Twilight immediately noticed that she was missing her crown. "I… I thought…" Her stunned expression held for a few moments longer before she substituted it for a sad smile. "It has been a long ten years, Twilight, though I believe it's been a much shorter timeframe for you. If you would like to meet with me at a later date instead, I understand."

Twilight shook her head and stood up. Hope, she knew, was a dangerous phenomenon. It had gotten her this far in her journey for answers, only to leave her wishing she could take it all back and remain ignorant. Still, hopeful was what she felt as she trotted to Princess Celestia and nuzzled against her when she dipped her neck. She knew she was grasping at bits of hay, but Celestia was her last hope at reversing everything; she was the most powerful magic-wielder in Equestria, as far as Twilight knew. "I'm so sorry, Princess…"

"I'll leave you two be…" Rarity said softly. Twilight looked over in time to see her violet tail disappear through the door.

"Twilight," Princess Celestia said. Her serious tone was unnerving. "I cannot do anything to reverse the spell. You understand this, right?"

Twilight felt the last bit of hope leave her. She shifted her gaze to the ground, ashamed that she would allow herself to even think it could be undone… after all, then there would be two Twilight Sparkles running around Equestria. "You… you can't do anything?" Twilight repeated, the words sounding much more frail coming out of her own mouth.

Celestia gently shook her head and frowned. "The spell you used should not have been able to trap you this far into the future. Even if we did have possession of the time spells right now, I don't believe there were any that would allow permanent backward time travel to that degree…"

Twilight nodded glumly to show she understood. She mentally and disgruntledly tacked "time travel spells" to the "list of magic she was abnormally good at". For the first time that she could recall, she resented her cutie mark. "What am I supposed to do now?" Twilight's voice was shaky, and she stared up at Celestia with tear-stained eyes.

Princess Celestia simply watched her. "What do you mean, Twilight?"

"I mean… I've destroyed my entire life, and taken the lives of everypony close to me down with it…" Twilight stared up at her lifelong mentor. "How will I ever recover from that? How _can _I?"

Celestia continued to watch with a small frown. "Twilight, you have not destroyed anypony's life."

Twilight's brow furrowed. "Princess, Spike is… h-he's gone. You know he's gone!"

Princess Celestia's mouth creased, and she began walking toward the center of Rarity's sitting area. "Twilight, come sit with me." Twilight had already begun following her. Twilight took the chair she had been curled in before, while Celestia took the red couch. There was silence for a few moments before Celestia continued. "Twilight… I cannot express how sorry I am to have put you and Spike through so much pain."

Twilight frowned. "Why are you apologizing? _I'm _the one who travelled ten years into the future and left Spike here all by himself!"

"That's not it, Twilight." Princess Celestia sighed. "Tell me: what did you expect would happen to Spike when you aged and eventually passed away? Would the scenario have changed any? Would Spike, who would still be physically and emotionally very immature, be able to move past the deaths of the ponies closest to him?"

Twilight considered the princess's words for a moment. "I… I never really thought about it before today, but… didn't you plan it that way?" Twilight asked. "I would become an alicorn, and even when everypony else passed on around us, we would always have each other?"

"Twilight, you say that as if you would be alright with that situation."

Twilight looked down. "I wouldn't really have a choice…"

"That's not true." Princess Celestia said, and Twilight curiously looked back up. "Immortality is an option when you are an alicorn, but it is not a curse. If I had ever felt secure with the future of Equestria, I would have passed on long ago, but because of what happened with Luna, I refrained." Twilight listened in amazement. "I've endured so much heartache watching my loved ones die before I would ever allow myself the same fate… when I look at you, Twilight," Celestia stared over with heavy eyes. "I see a mare who cares too dearly for her friends to withstand the pain of long outliving them. This is not a weakness; you've taught me so much about friendship. Dying for your friends is the most noble and logical sacrifice you could have made."

Twilight winced. "I-I… I would never abandon Spike, though!"

"But what of Spike, who would have no choice?" Celestia said softly. "I ask you again, Twilight: would the scenario really have played out any differently?"

Twilight gritted her teeth. Dragons surely weren't built to endure such heavy emotional blows. "I… I'm not sure." It was a disconcerting realization, but had she considered it ten years ago, perhaps it would not have been so definitive. "If I'd known about this, maybe I could have prepared him…"

"Sometimes it takes a tragedy for us to open our eyes, and by then it is far too late." Celestia bowed her head. "Ponykind knows so little about dragons… If the answer was at all uncertain to me, it should have been my job to introduce Spike back to his own kind when I came across his egg. Instead I decided his long life span was abusable… this is my mistake, Twilight, and a terrible one at that. I am very sorry."

Twilight hesitated, and then slowly nodded. "I'm still confused about something, though."

"And what is that, Twilight?"

Twilight narrowed her eyes. "Why did Luna tell me she didn't know what happened to Spike?"

Princess Celestia tipped her head slightly to the right. "She told you that?"

"That's right. She told me to ask Rarity."

"Ah." Princess Celestia nodded. "Luna did not know Spike personally. She probably felt it wasn't her place to explain something so big to you."

It was an acceptable reason, but it still bothered Twilight. It was unfair to have so much information withheld from her. How much more was she missing? "I've hurt my other friends, too," Twilight confessed. "Applejack's whole life is pretty much in shambles, and it all started when I left! She said that Rainbow Dash destroyed her farm because she was trying to relieve her grief. And that's had an effect on Fluttershy, even though she hates Applejack," Twilight's voice was slowly increasing in volume as she continued to talk, "and now she still has to live in Ponyville which is basically dead which I think I can attribute to the collapse of Sweet Apple Acres which if you refer back is my fault and it's not fair because she has a baby on the way and - !" she practically shouted the last few words, which she only realized when she had to stop for a moment to breathe. She blushed at her loud ramble, but Celestia was still listening politely. "Sorry... and, um, well… Rarity and Sweetie Belle, too. I mean, I think Sweetie said something about Rarity leaving Ponyville because of me…" Twilight was choosing her words much more carefully now, as she knew Rarity could very well be within hearing distance. "And Sweetie Belle, I-I'm still struggling to fathom her life… this isn't how she was meant to be living, she was such a sweet little filly…" "Twilight…" Celestia said, regarding Twilight seriously. "How certain are you that those events are your fault?"

Twilight blinked. "Well… it makes sense, doesn't it?"

Princess Celestia smiled kindly. "Think back to your time, Twilight. If Rarity had decided to open a shop in Canterlot, would you not have supported that notion?"

"Well, I mean, yeah I'd support her…" Twilight rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "It's always been her dream to open a shop in Canterlot. But I don't think she planned on having everything happen so quickly."

"Plans can change, Twilight. Rarity has accomplished a lot in her short time; she has a lot to be proud of."

"Okay, sure, but what about Applejack?"

Princess Celestia didn't waver. "You were not present for any of those events. It is impossible for you to take the blame."

"But Rainbow Dash destroyed Applejack's trees because of me!"

Princess Celestia smiled a little. "Twilight, how are you so sure of something like that?"

Twilight sighed. "Applejack told me so!"

"And Rainbow Dash?"

"…I haven't seen her. Not yet."

"Then her motive is unknown. Regardless, she is responsible for her actions, not you."

Twilight looked away. "I… I understand, but…"

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to help your friends, but doing so because you feel you need to fix problems you have not created is not fair to you."

"I…" Twilight felt her emotions start to bubble over, and choked back tears. "Y-you think I can still fix this?"

Princess Celestia smiled knowingly. "I'm not sure if 'fix' is the right term, but I have hundreds of claw-written scrolls that tell in great detail everything a certain student of mine has learned about friendship." Twilight looked over with a grateful smile. "I have no doubt that you will be able to help your friends through whatever troubles they are going through."

Twilight nodded. Even if things couldn't be put back to the way they were, maybe she would still be able to help… "Thank you, Princess."

"You're welcome, my faithful student."

"…But I have a question."

Celestia looked at Twilight curiously. "And what might that be?"

"Um… what happened to your crown?"

Princess Celestia chuckled and glanced upward. "Oh, I don't wear it when I'm not on duty. Luna is taking care of the sun for me at the moment."

Twilight quirked a brow. "Oh… It's just, I've never seen you without it before."

"You've never seen me take a break," Princess Celestia explained. "Being a princess can be hard work."

Twilight's ears flattened as she was reminded of why she had attempted the spell in the first place. "O-oh…"

Twilight was worried that Celestia was going to try to steer the topic to Twilight's once-imminent princesshood, but to her relief she did not. "I was at the Crystal Empire, visiting your family." Princess Celestia said instead.

"Oh." Twilight grinned. "Shining Armor? Wait, do my parents live there too? That would make sense, right?" Twilight eyes widened considerably as she took in this information. "My death must have been absolutely terrible for them…" Twilight looked away guility. Her poor parents, forced to metaphorically bury their daughter from a demise that they would have had no preparation for…

Princess Celestia nodded sadly. "It was a very hard time for everypony… but fortunately, it didn't take long for you to re-enter their lives. In spirit, of course."

Twilight gave Celestia an odd look. "What do you mean?"

Princess Celestia smiled. "Shining Armor and Princess Cadance named their daughter after you."

"…_What?!" _Twilight was sent reeling from this information. _"Why doesn't anypony tell me these kind of things?!" _

Twilight could already hear Fluttershy's tiny voice in her mind: _'Y-you didn't know? I… I thought you knew! I thought Applejack would have told you… I'm sorry.'_

Ugh. She mentally kicked herself for not being more direct with her questions.

"They named her 'Twilight Skies', though she prefers to go by 'Skyla'," Celestia continued. "She's an alicorn like her mother, and a very bright child: just like her aunt."

Twilight leapt off of the chair. "Well, that's settled; I'm going to the Crystal Empire."

Princess Celestia laughed softly. "I have a private chariot waiting outside for you."

Twilight smiled sheepishly at her mentor. "You know me too well."

"I'm sorry for saving that information for last…" Princess Celestia smiled for a moment before it faded into a serious frown. "Twilight, I will not lie to you; when I thought I'd lost you, I didn't know what to do with myself. For three days, Luna had to raise both the sun and the moon because I needed time to grieve." Twilight listened sadly. "Without the support of Luna and Cadance, I don't know what I would have done. Just like I needed them, you need your friends and family to help you readjust; and you _will _readjust with time, Twilight. I will always be here for you."

Twilight approached and the two exchanged affectionate neck rubs. "Thank you, Princess."

The two of them exited the room, and Twilight looked around for Rarity before leaving. "Rarity?" she called.

Rarity trotted into the entryway. "Oh, Twilight! You aren't going now, are you?"

Twilight nodded. "Thank you for having me over, but I need to go visit my family in the Crystal Empire."

"Oh!" Rarity looked between Twilight and Celestia, seeming a bit flustered. "Right, of course! Er, but Twilight? Can you promise to come visit me again once you're finished over there?"

Twilight nodded. "Of course I'll come visit you again, Rarity!"

"Oh, oh good!" Rarity's eyes flicked from Celestia to Twilight. "And, uh, promise to come back here before you go visit Rainbow Dash. I-I know that she would be the next one you would want to see! But er, please, please come back here first…"

"Um… okay, Rarity." Twilight was a bit surprised by the request, but dismissed it and wrapped Rarity in a hug. "I'll see you soon, okay? Tell Sweetie Belle and the foals I said bye."

"I'll be sure to do that!" Rarity turned to Princess Celestia and bowed hastily. "I hope my home was up to standards…"

Celestia gave her a gentle smile. "It's every bit as beautiful as your clothing designs, Rarity."

"Oh, that's very flattering, thank you!" Rarity turned sadly back to Twilight. "Goodbye, then!"

Twilight magically opened the door and waved. "Bye!"

Waiting outside were two royal chariots, both headed by two pegasus guards, just as Celestia had described. "I'll be going back to the castle if you need me, Twilight. The guards know where to take you."

Twilight nodded and walked up to the smaller chariot in amazement. She turned back to Celestia before getting in. "Thank you for everything…" Celestia may not have given her the quick solution she had been hoping for, but she knew now it was too early to give up. It was painful to think of Spike, but she had other ponies that needed her attention. The thought of seeing her family again made her both excited and extremely nervous for their reaction.

Celestia bowed her head. "Good luck, my student… I wish you all the best."

…

Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. I go back to university in a couple of days (!), so updates may be even slower. But it really depends on how well I juggle everything and how much sleep I'm willing to give up.

This chapter wasn't supposed to happen for another like… two chapters and it wasn't supposed to happen in Rarity's house, but I decided it would be best to split up the Rarity dialogue chapters. Reason one, you guys would probably get bored, and reason two, I _love _writing Rarity and would probably lose interest in the fic if I didn't have more to look forward to. Lol

Review and I will respond (sorry if I didn't get everyone last time; I was on vacation when most of 'em came in). Love you guys! Peace out.


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